What happened
On 26 May 2010, a Piper Navajo PA31-3le50 (registration C-FZSD) departed Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, on a scheduled multi-stop freight and passenger mission. The flight was intended to deliver cargo to Cartwright and Black Tickle before returning to Goose Bay.
During the flight, the pilot maintained radio contact with other aircraft, reporting a position approximately 60 nautical miles west of Cartwright at an altitude of 3500 feet. However, following this last transmission, the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, and the flight was reported missing at 1010 hours. A search operation, which was complicated by adverse weather, eventually led to the discovery of the wreckage on a plateau within the Meals Mountains on 28 May 2010. The impact and subsequent post-crash fire resulted in two fatalities.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight conditions and the aircraft's technical state. Investigators confirmed that the aircraft was mechanically sound, with no evidence of engine or flight control failure. Furthermore, pilot incapacitation was ruled out, as the final radio communications showed no signs of health-related distress. While a low-level jet stream was forecast for the area, which can cause significant turbulence, the debris field pattern—characterized by a straight-line path and a confined area of wreckage—indicated that turbulence was not the cause of the crash.
Investigators also examined the pilot's use of altimeter settings. At the time of departure, the altimeter setting in Goose Bay was 29.93 in. Hg, while Cartwright was at 29.71 in. Hg. Because the flight path moved toward a lower-pressure area, an unadjusted altimeter would have provided an altitude reading approximately 200 feet higher than the actual altitude. The wreckage impact at roughly 3450 feet was consistent with the aircraft flying at a lower actual altitude due to this discrepancy.
Findings
- The pilot operated a visual flight rules (VFR) flight into weather conditions that were deteriorating across the mountainous region.
- The aircraft struck rising terrain while in a level, controlled flight attitude after the pilot lost visual reference with the ground.
- Failure to update altimeter settings when transitioning from high to low pressure likely reduced the aircraft's clearance from obstacles.
- The absence of a functioning emergency locator transmitter (ELT) significantly delayed the discovery of the wreckage.
- The lack of a terrain awareness warning system (TAWS) contributed to the risk of this controlled flight into terrain (CFIT) accident.