What happened
On 24 May 2024, a privately owned Murphy Rebel departed from Squamish Municipal Airport in British Columbia. The aircraft was conducting a recreational flight toward Courtenay Airpark with one pilot and one passenger on board.
At approximately 17:41 local time, the aircraft struck terrain roughly 12.5 nautical miles south-southwest of the Squamish departure point. Following the impact, a fire broke out, resulting in the total destruction of the aircraft. The collision resulted in two fatalities.
The investigation
Following the accident, the emergency locator transmitter was activated, and an automatic cellphone emergency notification system alerted authorities to the incident. The investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the terrain impact and the subsequent fire.