Accident Details
The aircraft, a Piper PA-28-161 (registration C-GBQY, serial number 288216119), was operated by two pilots on a round-trip cross-country flight to meet commercial pilot licence experience requirements. On 20 January 2002 at 1630 EST, it departed from Gaspé, Quebec, on a VFR flight to Québec, Quebec. At 1635, the pilot reported being 5 nautical miles west of Gaspé and confirmed switching to the en route frequency. No further communications were received. The flight plan expired, and the aircraft was reported missing.
Background
Both occupants were students at Air Tuteurs ltée, a Transport Canada-certified flight training school, working toward commercial pilot licences. Each held a private pilot licence with night flying qualifications and had approximately 95 total flight hours, including 10 hours of instrument experience with an instructor. Neither was IFR-rated. The flight aimed to complete a 300-nautical-mile cross-country with two stops. The pair had flown from Saint-Hubert to Gaspé on 19 January without incident, spending the night despite forecasts of deteriorating weather.
Flight History
On 20 January, the pilot for the return segment received weather briefings indicating marginal VFR conditions and was advised against flying. After an initial departure at 1110, the pilot returned to Gaspé due to poor conditions. Subsequent briefings continued to warn against VFR flight. Around 1500, the pilot indicated he would stay in Gaspé, but at 1533 he obtained a weather briefing from Montréal FSS and filed a VFR flight plan to Québec. The aircraft took off at 1630.
Search and Recovery
Search and rescue operations were hindered by rugged, sparsely populated, densely wooded terrain and a non-functioning ELT. The search was suspended after 11 days. Radar data from U.S. authorities later showed part of the flight path, but additional searches were unsuccessful. On 08 December 2002, an airliner detected an ELT signal near L'Ascension-de-Patapédia, New Brunswick. The missing aircraft was located in a densely wooded area at 1200 feet asl, 1½ nautical miles south of the planned route. The aircraft had crashed into a steep western slope of the Patapedia River valley. Initial impact with trees occurred at a left bank angle of about 20°, nose-down angle of 5°, and descent angle of 20°. The aircraft was destroyed.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the aircraft was certified and maintained per regulations, equipped for IFR flight but not flown by IFR-rated pilots. Weather conditions at the time of departure included low ceilings and reduced visibility in snow showers. The flight took place at night, shortly after the pilot's first night flight since obtaining his endorsement. Radar and GPS data showed the aircraft following a direct path at approximately 5000 feet until it deviated south and then entered a left bank turn, during which altitude dropped from 5000 to 4600 feet and ground speed increased from 93 to 159 knots. The last recorded position was less than 200 metres from the crash site. The reasons for the pilot's decision to depart despite adverse forecasts remain unknown; factors considered included favorable conditions over Gaspé, poor forecasts for the next day, and the option to return if weather worsened.