What happened
On a flight traveling from Lac la Biche, Alberta, to Trois Rivières, Quebec, an Aerofab Inc. Lake 250, registered C-GZLC, crashed near Pickle Lake, Ontario. The aircraft was on a ferry mission with planned intermediate stops in The Pas, Manitoba, and Pickle Lake. The flight was carrying two pilots and two passengers.
During the night approach to Runway 27 at Pickle Lake, the aircraft began a steep descent and collided with the ground roughly one nautical mile east of the runway threshold. The impact destroyed the aircraft, though no fire occurred following the crash. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter functioned as intended upon impact.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path and the circumstances leading to the descent. Following the crash, the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, deployed a C 130 Hercules to the site, which dropped rescue teams to assist. The investigation confirmed the presence of four people on board at the time of the accident.
Findings
- The accident resulted in three fatalities and one minor injury.
- A primary factor in the accident was the loss of situational awareness during the visual approach in darkness.