What happened
On the morning of 20 November 2014, an Air Tindi Ltd. Cessna 208B Caravan, registered C-FKAY, departed Yellowknife Airport, Northwest Territories, for Fort Simpson. The flight, operating as Discovery Air flight DA223, was flying under instrument flight rules and had been delayed from the previous evening due to freezing drizzle at the destination.
While climbing to 8000 feet, the aircraft encountered icing conditions that forced the pilot to abort the mission and return to Yellowknife. During this return leg, the aircraft struggled to maintain its altitude. At approximately 0721 Mountain Standard Time, the aircraft made contact with the frozen surface of the North Arm of Great Slave Lake, roughly 18 nautical miles west of Yellowknife. The impact with a rock outcropping caused significant damage to the airframe.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances leading to the loss of altitude and the subsequent impact. Investigators examined the flight's weather conditions, the aircraft's performance during the encounter with icing, and the emergency response. It was noted that the emergency locator transmitter failed to activate automatically upon impact, though the pilot successfully activated it manually. The pilot used a satellite phone to contact the operator, and all occupants were rescued approximately four hours after the landing.
Findings
- The aircraft encountered severe icing conditions during the climb.
- The pilot's lack of awareness regarding the aircraft's limitations in severe icing contributed to the inability to maintain altitude.
- There were no injuries to the pilot or the five passengers on board.