What happened
In August 2014, a Canadian North Inc. Boeing 737-36Q, registered as C-GICN, was performing a scheduled flight from Winnipeg, Manitoba, to Fort McMurray, Alberta. As the flight crew prepared for a visual approach to Runway 25, they briefed the arrival at the top of their descent.
While on final approach, approximately 4 nautical miles from the runway, the crew visually identified the airport environment but mistakenly aligned the aircraft with Taxiway J. At 18:38:23 MDT, the Boeing 737-36Q was positioned 46 feet above the ground and level with the threshold of Runway 25. At that same moment, a Jazz Aviation LP de Havilland DHC8-402, operating as flight JZA391, was taxiing eastbound on Taxiway J, preparing for its own departure from Runway 25. The aircraft were separated by only 46 feet laterally and 230 feet vertically. The crew of C-GICN subsequently executed a missed approach and returned to land on the correct runway.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path of the Canadian North aircraft and the spatial relationship between the runway and the taxiway during the approach. Investigators examined the flight crew's visual acquisition of the airport and the specific alignment of the aircraft with the taxiway infrastructure.