What happened
On September 15, 2014, a de Havilland DHC-8-102, operated by Jazz Aviation LP as flight 7794, departed from Runway 2cap at Sault Ste. Marie Airport, Ontario, bound for Toronto/Lester B. Pearson International Airport. During the climb, while at an altitude of roughly 4,000 feet, the crew received a traffic alert from the onboard traffic alert and collision avoidance system.
The crew identified a small aircraft, registration C-FANU, positioned approximately 3 miles ahead and 1,000 feet above their flight path. In an attempt to maintain separation, the Jazz crew leveled the aircraft at 4,500 feet. However, the C-FANU aircraft began a rapid descending turn toward the larger plane. To avoid a collision, the Jazz crew executed an evasive maneuver, banking the aircraft 30 degrees to the left. The two aircraft eventually passed each other with a lateral separation of between 350 and 450 feet.
The investigation
The TSB examined the flight paths and the maneuvers performed by both aircraft during the encounter. The investigation focused on the sequence of events following the initial traffic alert and the subsequent flight path changes made by the crew of C-FANU.