What happened
On April 5, 2024, a Cessna 172S operated by Chinook Helicopters (1982) Limited departed from Abbotsford Airport, British Columbia, for a simulated instrument training flight. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules with an instructor and a student on board.
Shortly after takeoff, the aircraft traveled eastbound. At roughly 12:39 pm local time, radar tracked the aircraft over the Chilliwack River Valley at an altitude of about 2,125 feet above sea level. During the flight, the aircraft struck mountainous terrain in a remote area of the valley.
Following the impact, an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was picked up by the Canadian Mission Control Centre at approximately 1:06 pm, which was then passed to the Joint Rescue Coordination Centre in Victoria. Shortly thereafter, an Apple device on board sent a crash detection notification. Search and rescue teams from the Canadian Armed Forces and Chilliwack Search and Rescue located the wreckage and recovered the occupants.
The investigation
The TSB investigation focused on the sequence of events leading to the impact and the recovery of the wreckage. Investigators confirmed that the aircraft was destroyed upon impact, though no post-impact fire occurred. The wreckage was moved to the Pacific Regional Office for examination in April 2025.