What happened
On a night flight from Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport, an Air Canada Jazz DHC-8-100, registration C-GTBP, was performing a scheduled instrument approach to North Bay Jack Garland Airport. The flight crew was utilizing a stabilized constant descent angle (SCDA) non-precision approach to Runway 08.
During the approach, the aircraft was flying at a higher airspeed than required by standard operating procedures. This high speed delayed the necessary configuration for landing, such as extending flaps and landing gear. Consequently, the descent was initiated late, causing the aircraft to remain above the intended vertical flight path. As the aircraft approached the minimum descent altitude (MDA), it had already passed the missed approach point (MAP) without the crew initiating a missed approach.
Upon touchdown, the aircraft traveled approximately 8900 feet down the 10,000-foot runway. The aircraft then overran the end of the runway, coming to rest in two to three feet of snow approximately 260 feet past the threshold. There were no injuries and the aircraft sustained only minor damage.
The investigation
The TSB examined the flight crew's performance, the aircraft's configuration, and the runway conditions. Investigators found that the crew was not monitoring the distance to the MAP and was unaware they were above the desired vertical profile. The investigation also looked into the training provided by Air Canada Jazz and the accuracy of the aeronautical information provided to the pilots.
Furthermore, the investigation revealed that the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) was not disabled following the incident, which allowed the recording to be overwritten by the time investigators could access it. The investigation also noted that a windrow of snow, created during runway clearing operations, was obscuring the runway end lights and had not been properly reported in the NOTAMs or via ACARS.
Findings
- The aircraft's approach speed was higher than prescribed, which delayed the commencement of the final descent.
- The descent was initiated late, causing the aircraft to reach the MDA well beyond the missed approach point.
- The flight crew was not aware of the distance to the MAP and failed to execute a missed approach.
- The flight crew had not received adequate initial or recurrent training for SCDA approaches.
- Air Canada Jazz's training program lacked the necessary recurrent training for these specific approach types.
- A snow windrow obstructed the view of the runway end lights and was not included in the official runway surface condition reports or NOTAMs.