What happened
On a scheduled flight from Fort Good Hope to Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, a Cessna 337C operated by North-Wright Airways Ltd. failed to arrive at its destination. The flight, operating under Section 703 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations as NWL316, departed Fort Good Hope at 1250 mountain daylight time. After the aircraft failed to check in, the company notified the Norman Wells flight service station that the plane was overdue, prompting aerial and radio searches.
At 1616, investigators located the wreckage approximately 23 nautical miles east of Fort Good Hope. The impact resulted in six fatalities (the pilot and five passengers) and the total destruction of the aircraft, C-FWHP. There was no fire following the impact.
The investigation
The investigation examined the aircraft's maintenance history, which showed compliance with existing regulations, and the environmental conditions during the flight. While the aircraft was used for both day and night VFR operations, weather data suggested the pilot likely encountered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) shortly after takeoff.
Investigators analyzed the wreckage trail and the damage sustained by the airframe. The high vertical damage and the angle of the flight path through the trees suggested the aircraft was in an aerodynamic stall. The investigation also noted that the aircraft lacked a flight recording device, which limited the ability to reconstruct the specific sequence of events leading to the loss of control. Additionally, the aircraft was not required to be equipped with a terrain awareness warning system (TAWS), though such equipment might have provided critical positioning data relative to the terrain.
Findings
- The aircraft descended from its assigned altitude for undetermined reasons.
- The aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall and struck the ground.
- The lack of a flight recorder prevented a full reconstruction of the circumstances leading to the departure from controlled flight.