What happened
On 28 July 2005, a Raytheon Beechcraft King Air 2D (registration C-FCGL) departed Vancouver, British Columbia, for a planned ferry flight to Smithers. The aircraft, operated by Northern Thunderbird Air, was being flown under visual flight rules (VFR) by a captain and a first officer.
Shortly after departure, the aircraft traveled north through Howe Sound. Radar tracking showed the aircraft descending through 1700 feet above sea level near Anvil Island before it was observed flying at a low altitude through the Squamish River valley. The aircraft eventually entered the Shovelnose Creek valley, where it struck the tops of two trees and impacted a steep 33-degree slope. The impact was followed by a post-crash fire that destroyed most of the airframe. Both occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage and the engines, finding that both Pratt & Whitney PT6A-41 engines were operating at high power at the time of impact. Analysis of the propellers showed extensive damage consistent with engine power being active during the collision.
While the weather at the time of the accident was clear with good visibility, the terrain in the Shovelnose Creek valley is characterized by narrow canyons and rapidly rising slopes. The investigation also reviewed the pilots' training and the company's operations manual. Although the crew had received training regarding controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) and company obstacle clearance requirements, there was no evidence of specialized mountain flying training. The investigation could not determine why the flight was conducted under VFR rather than the company's usual instrument flight rules (IFR), nor why the aircraft entered the narrow canyon.
Findings
- The aircraft entered a narrow canyon and encountered rapidly rising terrain that exceeded the aircraft's maximum sustainable climb capability.
- The narrowness of the canyon and the aircraft's proximity to the terrain prevented the crew from executing a turn to avoid the obstacle.
- The crew's pilot decision-making training was ineffective, as they were unprepared for the specific hazards and specialized techniques required for low-altitude mountain flying.