Occurrence
On 04 September 2019 at 2103 Eastern Daylight Time, a Cargair Ltd. Cessna 172M (registration C-GSEN, serial number 17264779) departed Montréal International (Mirabel) Airport, Quebec on a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Sherbrooke Airport, Quebec and back. The sole pilot was on board.
At 2147, approximately 19 nautical miles northwest of Sherbrooke Airport, the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) and subsequently disappeared from radar. The wreckage was discovered on 07 September 2019 in a heavily wooded area near Racine, Quebec. The aircraft had struck trees during the impact and was destroyed. The pilot received fatal injuries upon impact. There was no post-impact fire. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter did not emit a detectable signal.
Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada conducted a class 3 investigation into the occurrence. Class 3 investigations analyze a limited number of safety issues and may result in recommendations. The investigation's findings or probable cause were not released in the initial summary.