History of the Flight
The aircraft, a Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain (C-GIPB), departed Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, at 2043 mountain daylight time on a night instrument flight rules (IFR) charter flight to Fort Liard. The flight carried one pilot and five passengers. The aircraft had departed Fort Liard earlier that morning at 0745 and arrived in Yellowknife at 0930. The return flight was scheduled for 1900 but departed at 2042 due to passenger delays. The pilot and passengers discussed delaying until the next day but decided to proceed. The pilot stated he was certified for night flying and believed the weather at Fort Liard would be suitable.
Accident Sequence
Upon arrival at Fort Liard, the pilot initiated a non-directional beacon (NDB) approach with a circling procedure for Runway 02 in conditions of moderate to heavy snow. At approximately 2233, the aircraft struck a gravel bar on the west shoreline of the Liard River, 1.3 nautical miles short of the runway threshold and 0.3 nautical mile left of the runway centerline. The aircraft sustained substantial damage, but no fire occurred. Three passengers were fatally injured; the pilot and two passengers were seriously injured. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated and was received by the search and rescue satellite system (SARSAT). Two Canadian Forces aircraft were dispatched to search. The wreckage was located electronically the following morning, and a civilian helicopter arrived approximately 10 hours after the occurrence.
Pilot Information
The pilot, age 23, held a commercial pilot licence with a Group 1 instrument rating. He had logged 1157 total flying hours, including 77 hours on the PA-31 type. In the previous 90 days, he flew 141 hours total and 77 hours on type. He had been on duty for 16.5 hours prior to the occurrence, with 39 hours off duty beforehand. Due to head injuries, the pilot experienced severe retrograde amnesia and could not recall the accident. The pilot had received company training including controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) training and had passed a Transport Canada proficiency check on the PA-31 in August 2001. He had flown a single-pilot passenger charter on a PA-31 once before, with one leg in daylight and one at night. The pilot's duty day began at 0600; his authorized 14-hour duty period would have ended at 2000, but an extension was permissible with a rest period. He checked into a day room from 1400 to 1900, but was observed eating and making phone calls during that time. The quality of rest could not be determined. The pilot did not meet night recency requirements for carrying passengers, as he had not completed five night take-offs and landings in the same type or class in the previous six months.
Search and Rescue
SARSAT received the first ELT signal at 2242. Deh Cho Air initiated overdue aircraft procedures at 2340. The Rescue Coordination Centre dispatched a Hercules aircraft from Winnipeg at 0155 and a Twin Otter from Yellowknife at 0220. The Twin Otter overflew the SARSAT-predicted site at 0520 but continued to Fort Nelson due to fuel considerations. The Hercules arrived at 0545 but initially could not detect the ELT signal. At approximately 0645, the Hercules crew electronically located the accident site one nautical mile south of Fort Laird. A civilian helicopter from Fort Liard visually located the site at 0832, about 10 hours after the occurrence.