What happened
On the morning of August 29, 2005, a privately operated Cessna 180H, registration C-FYIX, departed Springbank, Alberta, for a visual flight rules flight to Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Shortly after takeoff, air traffic control radar tracked the aircraft climbing to approximately 8,700 feet before it drifted and eventually struck a near-vertical cliff on the northeast face of a 9,000-foot ridge in the Kanan and Kananaskis region. The impact occurred at 11:27 mountain daylight time. The aircraft was destroyed by the force of the collision and a subsequent intense fire. Both occupants of the aircraft sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation examined the flight's weather planning and the environmental conditions at the time of the accident. Prior to departure, the pilot received a weather briefing indicating that visual meteorological conditions were expected to persist within the mountain passes. However, the pilot elected to fly a direct route rather than utilizing the passes. While lower-level visibility was good, Environment Canada's analysis and local observations indicated that broken cloud layers were present at higher altitudes. Specifically, cloud tops were expected between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, and reports from other pilots confirmed that mountain tops on the eastern slopes were obscured by clouds.
Radar data showed the aircraft was in straight and level flight and the engine was producing power at the moment of impact. The wreckage was located on a steep slope, with the aircraft's path having intercepted a ridge that was nearly as high as the aircraft's flight level.
Findings
- The aircraft was likely flown into cloud cover, which prevented the pilot from visually identifying and avoiding the high terrain.
- While the mountain passes offered clear visibility, the direct flight path taken by the pilot encountered obscured mountain peaks due to broken cloud layers.
- The aircraft was under control and maintaining a stable flight profile at the time of the collision.