What happened
On a daytime flight under visual flight rules, a de Havilland DHC-2 MK 1 amphibious floatplane, registered C-GCZA, departed from Okanagan Lake near Kelowna, British Columbia. The aircraft was en route to Pitt Meadows with the pilot and two passengers on board. During the flight, the aircraft struck trees and collided with terrain located approximately 100 feet below the elevation of Highway 97C, in the vicinity of the Brenda Mines tailings hill. Following the impact, a brief signal from a 406-megahertz emergency locator transmitter was detected at 1850 Pacific Daylight Time, though it did not provide a specific location. A post-impact fire destroyed most of the aircraft, and the three occupants sustained fatal injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the collision with trees and terrain. Investigators examined the aircraft's flight path from Okanagan Lake toward Pitt Meadows and analyzed the signal received from the emergency locator transmitter. The investigation also looked into the circumstances surrounding the post-impact fire and the impact with the terrain near the Brenda Mines tailings hill.