Occurrence
The Atlantic Charters Piper PA-31, registration C-GKWE (serial number 31-7812037), operated a MEDEVAC flight from Grand Manan, New Brunswick, to Saint John, New Brunswick. At 0436 Atlantic Daylight Time, the aircraft departed Saint John for the return flight to Grand Manan, carrying two pilots and two passengers. After an attempt to land on Runway 24 at Grand Manan Airport, the captain performed a go-around. On the second approach, with the landing gear extended, the aircraft contacted a road perpendicular to the runway approximately 1,500 feet before the threshold. The aircraft then traveled through 100 feet of brush before becoming briefly airborne. At about 0512, the aircraft struck the ground left of the runway centerline, about 1,000 feet before the threshold. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness.
Injuries and Damage
The captain and one passenger sustained fatal injuries. The other pilot and the second passenger sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, and an emergency locator transmitter signal was received.
Investigation
This occurrence was investigated as a Class 3 investigation, which analyzes a small number of safety issues and may result in recommendations. The investigation concluded that a lack of visual references contributed to the collision with terrain.