What happened
On 11 December 2015, a Cessna 208B Caravan, registered as C-FKDL, departed from Pickle Lake Airport, Ontario, at 0900 Eastern Standard Time. The aircraft, operated by Wasaya Airways Limited Partnership, was flying under visual flight rules toward Angling Lake / Wapekeka Airport, Ontario, carrying cargo and a single pilot.
Shortly after the departure, at approximately 0908, the aircraft reached an altitude of about 4600 feet above sea level. One minute later, the flight path changed as the aircraft descended and executed a right turn of roughly 120 degrees. During this maneuver, the aircraft struck the southeast side of Tarp Hill at an elevation of 1460 feet. The impact resulted in the fatal injury of the pilot and the total destruction of the aircraft. No fire occurred following the collision. Although the aircraft's 406-megahertz emergency locator transmitter activated upon impact, it failed to transmit a signal.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the flight path of the aircraft and the environmental conditions present during the descent and turn. Investigators examined the sequence of events leading from the initial level-off to the collision with the terrain.