Fatal Night VFR Crash of Cessna 185E C-FXJN Near Fort St. John

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On the evening of the occurrence, a Trek Aerial Surveys Cessna 185E, registration C-FXJN, was conducting a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Peace River Airport in Alberta to Fort St. John Airport in British Columbia. The pilot, who was the sole occupant, departed Peace River at 1706 Mountain Standard Time. The flight ended in a fatal accident at approximately 1817 MST when the aircraft struck the ground 12 nautical miles east of Fort St. John Airport. The pilot sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed by impact forces without a post-impact fire. The 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter activated upon impact. Prior to the accident, the pilot had communicated with the Fort St. John Flight Service Station at 1813, receiving weather information and acknowledging the preferred runway. Radar data indicated the aircraft was in a gradual descent of approximately 170 feet per minute with a ground speed of 90 knots when it began its final approach. The last radar contact was recorded at 1817, with the aircraft at 2,400 feet above sea level, 12 nautical miles from the airport. ## Wreckage and Impact Analysis The accident site, located at an elevation of approximately 2,400 feet above sea level, consisted of frozen ground covered in snow and scrub brush. The aircraft first made contact with an aspen tree at approximately 75 feet above ground level. The impact caused the left wing strut to buckle and fail, resulting in the separation of the left wing from the fuselage. The detached left wing and strut were found approximately 209 feet from the initial tree contact point. Following the wing separation, the aircraft rolled to the left and continued its descent, impacting the ground on its left side 370 feet from where the left wing was found. The aircraft bounced an additional 40 feet before coming to rest on its back. Cockpit instruments were largely destroyed, though a recovered tachometer indicated a power setting of 2,400 rpm. A panel-mounted Garmin GPSMAP695 unit was recovered, and track information including geographic position, altitude, heading, and ground speed was retrieved. The unit’s aural terrain alert function was active when powered up, though its specific utilization during the flight could not be determined. ## Operational and Environmental Context The occurrence aircraft, a Cessna 185E, had been in service with Trek Aerial Surveys since January 2010 and was equipped for day and night VFR operations. It was not required to have a flight data recorder, cockpit voice recorder, terrain awareness warning system, or autopilot. The aircraft was maintained in accordance with regulations, with no outstanding defects reported, and was within weight and balance limitations. It featured modifications including a 3-bladed composite propeller, wheel/skis, a short take-off and landing (STOL) kit, and wing extensions with internal wing-tip fuel tanks. Weather conditions at 1800 at Fort St. John Airport were conducive to night VFR flight, with visibility of 15 statute miles, a ceiling of 20,000 feet, and a wind from 230° true at 14 knots. Approximately 34% of the moon was visible. The pilot, who held a commercial pilot licence, had approximately 2,170 total flight hours and 182 hours on the occurrence aircraft. The flight was the pilot’s first with the company in 30 days, with a total of approximately 7.1 hours accumulated for the day. There were no indications of incapacitation or physiological factors affecting the pilot’s performance. ## Contributing Factors and Safety Analysis The investigation focused on controlled flight into terrain (CFIT), a safety issue highlighted in the TSB’s 2012 Watchlist. CFIT accidents occur when an airworthy aircraft under pilot control is inadvertently flown into the ground or an obstacle, often due to a loss of situational awareness. The “black-hole effect,” a phenomenon common during night approaches over dark or featureless terrain, may have contributed to the accident by affecting the pilot’s depth perception and leading to a low approach. During the final approach, the pilot engaged in multiple cell phone communications, including text messages and voice calls, which may have contributed to a loss of situational awareness. The gradual rate of descent, constant ground speed, and flight path suggested the aircraft remained under the pilot’s control until impact. No aircraft system malfunction or inflight emergency was indicated. The absence of visual references at night over sparsely settled terrain likely deprived the pilot of context regarding the aircraft’s position relative to the ground, increasing the risk of CFIT.