Incident Overview
On the day of the accident, a Tweedsmuir Air Services Ltd. Cessna A185F (registration CF-BUO) departed Nimpo Lake, British Columbia, at 1245 Pacific daylight time. The aircraft was configured with floats and carried only the pilot on board. The intended route involved picking up a passenger at Kluskoil Lake before returning to the departure point. The aircraft was reported overdue at 1500, prompting a search operation that located the wreckage on a hillside near Mount Downton at an elevation of 6,824 feet above sea level.
Environmental and Operational Conditions
The graphical area forecast issued three hours prior to the accident indicated broken clouds based at 8,000 feet with tops at 18,000 feet, along with scattered altocumulus castellanus. Visibility was reported as five to six statute miles in light rain showers and mist. A pilot flying in the area shortly after the incident reported strong southeast winds of approximately 40 knots.
Wreckage Analysis
The aircraft came to rest 72 feet down a steep, eastern-facing slope on a heading of 220° magnetic. The top of the fuselage was torn open, and the engine was displaced from its mounts. Impact marks and propeller gouges indicated that the left wingtip and propeller contacted the ground while the aircraft was upside down. Damage patterns suggested the aircraft struck the terrain at slow forward speed, possibly after a stall, and flipped over nose-first. Both fuel tanks were ruptured, though no fire occurred.
Pilot Background and Fatigue Factors
The pilot held a valid commercial license from Transport Canada with 830 total flight hours, including 250 hours on the Cessna A185F on floats. Records showed he had worked every day for the preceding 17 days, accumulating 85 flight hours during that period. An autopsy and toxicology examination revealed no factors contributing to the accident. Notably, there was no indication in his training records of specific mountain flying experience.
Video Evidence
A video recorder recovered from the wreckage showed the aircraft approaching the accident site at an altitude insufficient to clear the terrain ahead. The footage captured rain on the windows and wildlife near the two o'clock position before the camera panned right, showing the aircraft rolling into a steep right bank. The recording ended when the passenger turned off the device.