What happened
A Piper Malibu, registration C-GSEV, was conducting a private flight from Windsor to Killarney, Ontario, carrying the pilot and five passengers. The flight, intended for a weekend trip, was operating under instrument flight rules (IFR) with an initial plan to fly via Sarnia and Wiarton. After reaching an altitude of 12,000 feet, the pilot received clearance to descend to 4,000 feet.
At approximately 12:21 EDT, the pilot notified air traffic services that he intended to descend to 2,000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the pilot cancelled the IFR flight plan. This was the final communication between the aircraft and air traffic controllers. The aircraft continued its descent into an area characterized by low clouds, fog, and drizzle, eventually moving out of radar coverage.
The aircraft was reported missing the following morning. Search and rescue teams located the wreckage late that afternoon, approximately 4.4 nm northeast of the Killarney airport. The aircraft had struck a mountain face at 1,321 feet above sea level while in a shallow climb. The impact destroyed the aircraft and resulted in 6 fatalities.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's flight profile after it descended below radar coverage. Investigators examined the meteorological conditions, noting that a warm front was moving through the area, bringing low ceilings and reduced visibility. While the pilot had likely maintained visual contact with the ground at the time of the IFR cancellation, the deteriorating weather likely prevented continued visual flight rules (VFR) operations.
Analysis of the aircraft's instruments indicated that the plane was in a controlled, shallow climb at the time of impact. The investigation also looked into the aircraft's equipment, noting that the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) had been removed for annual servicing and was not reinstalled at the time of the accident. Furthermore, the delay in reporting the aircraft missing was attributed to the fact that the pilot had not contacted the Killarney unicom station after cancelling his flight plan, and the passengers' families did not realize the flight had not arrived until the next day.
Findings
- The pilot was operating the aircraft in instrument meteorological conditions and uncontrolled airspace while below a safe terrain clearance altitude.
- The aircraft struck a mountain during a controlled flight into terrain.
- The pilot likely intended to divert to the planned alternate airport in Sudbury due to poor visibility at Killarney.
- The aircraft was in a shallow climb configuration that did not provide sufficient altitude gain to clear the terrain.
- The absence of a reinstalled ELT and the lack of communication with the Killarney unicom station contributed to the delay in locating the wreckage.