Accident Overview
On an afternoon flight from Abbotsford, British Columbia, to Springbank Airport in Calgary, Alberta, Cessna 182P Skylane C-GASB failed to arrive. Emergency locator transmitter signals were detected by satellite, prompting a search. Wreckage was located the same day less than one nautical mile from the Coquihalla highway near Needle Peak, 17 nautical miles northeast of Hope, British Columbia, at an elevation of 4048 feet above sea level. The aircraft was destroyed but did not catch fire. The four persons on board were fatally injured.
Flight and Pilot Information
The pilot held a commercial pilot licence with an instrument rating and had accumulated approximately 3370 hours on light single-engine aircraft, including the Cessna 182P. The pilot received a pre-flight weather briefing from Abbotsford Flight Service Station, which indicated suitable conditions for visual flight rules (VFR). The briefing suggested contacting Abbotsford FSS near Hope on 122.2 MHz for a weather update, but no such call was received. The pilot filed a VFR flight plan to Springbank Airport via Revelstoke, British Columbia. The aircraft departed Abbotsford at 1405 Pacific daylight time and was tracked on radar flying directly to Hope at 5000 feet above sea level at 150 knots. Radar returns ceased at Hope around 1430 due to mountainous terrain.
Aircraft Details
The Cessna 182P Skylane, serial number 18264590, was manufactured in 1976 and had flown 3879.9 hours. It was certified, equipped, and maintained per regulations. The engine was a Lycoming O-470-S, serial number L-463943, with 316 hours since overhaul and 2251.6 hours since new. The aircraft was equipped for instrument flight with transponder, dual VOR, DME, ADF, and GPS, but had no anti-icing or de-icing equipment. Weight calculations indicated the aircraft was overweight at departure from Boeing Field (3114 pounds, 164 pounds above max takeoff weight) and estimated overweight at Abbotsford takeoff by 70 pounds. At the time of the accident, weight was within limits at 2949 pounds and center of gravity within range.
Weather Conditions
The graphical area forecast for the route called for broken clouds at 6000 feet, scattered towering cumulus, light rain showers, isolated cumulonimbus, and freezing level around 6200 feet. Reported weather at Hope at 1429: wind 280° true at 8 knots gusting 18, visibility 9 statute miles in light rain, broken clouds at 5300 and 8700 feet, temperature 14°C. At Princeton at 1500: wind 260° true at 18 knots, visibility 15 miles, few towering cumulus at 5000 feet, temperature 14°C. Data from three BC Ministry of Transportation weather stations near the accident site showed winds from southwest at 24 knots, temperature near freezing, and snow. Surveillance video from Coquihalla toll booth showed low cloud, rain, and gusty winds. Investigators concluded conditions at the accident site were likely worse than forecast, with ceiling lower than 6000 feet and freezing level near 4000 feet.
Investigation Findings
Wreckage was found on a heavily wooded, west-facing 45-degree slope about one nautical mile south of the direct track from Abbotsford to Revelstoke. The aircraft struck a tree and the ground nearby; tree damage and contact markings indicated a mainly vertical flight path at impact. The fuselage came to rest on a heading of 330° magnetic. The left wing, propeller, engine, right wing, and left door were scattered downhill. The engine crankshaft was broken, and the propeller was separated. No ice was observed on the wreckage despite temperatures around 0°C. Examination found no pre-impact defects; all control surfaces were accounted for. The engine showed no anomalies that could have caused loss of performance, and the severed crankshaft indicated it was operating at impact. The GPS yielded only the last recorded position, approximately half a nautical mile north of the accident site.
The pilot's autopsy and toxicology revealed no condition that could have led or contributed to the accident. The aircraft was not in contact with air traffic control and had no IFR clearance. The flight path and damage indicated the aircraft was likely in a spiral dive at impact, not stalled. The most likely scenario involves the pilot encountering adverse weather in mountainous terrain, probably attempting to avoid instrument meteorological conditions, and losing control due to lack of horizon reference.
Probable Cause
The pilot encountered adverse weather in mountainous terrain, probably attempted