What happened
On 23 February 2018, an Island Express Air Inc. Beechcraft King Air B100, registered as C-GIAE, was performing a scheduled instrument flight from Abbotsford Airport, British Columbia, to San Bernardino International Airport, California. The flight was operating during a period of heavy snowfall.
Shortly after departing from Runway 07, the pilot initiated the retraction of the landing gear. During this maneuver, the aircraft drifted to the left and collided with the terrain just north of the runway. The impact was severe enough to destroy the aircraft. The flight was carrying a total of 10 people, including the pilot and nine passengers.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the moments immediately following takeoff and the environmental conditions present at the time of the accident. Investigators examined the aircraft's flight path and the sequence of mechanical actions taken by the crew. The investigation also confirmed that the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter functioned correctly, as it was detected by the Cospas-Sarsat search and rescue satellite system following the crash.
Findings
- The accident resulted in six serious injuries (the pilot and five passengers) and four minor injuries.
- A primary contributing factor was the aircraft veering left and striking the ground immediately after the landing gear was raised.
- Heavy snowfall was present at the time of the departure.