What happened
On the night of October 22, 1994, a Cessna 172M departed Hamilton, Ontario, for a short visual flight rules (VFR) trip to Brantford. The flight, which included the pilot and two passengers, was the final leg of a journey from the southern United States following customs clearance in Hamilton. No flight plan or itinerary had been filed for this trip.
Radar tracking indicated that after takeoff, the pilot climbed to 2,800 feet and proceeded toward Brantford. After performing various maneuvers and a 360-degree turn, the aircraft returned toward the airport from the southwest. During the final stages of the flight, the aircraft descended through 1,000 feet and entered a right-hand descending turn. At approximately 2304 EDT, the aircraft struck the ground 680 feet west of the runway 05 threshold. The impact resulted in three fatalities: the pilot and the front-seat passenger died at the scene, while the rear passenger passed away later in a hospital.
The investigation
Investigators examined radar data, aircraft wreckage, and meteorological conditions. The investigation established that the aircraft was mechanically sound and within weight limits at the time of the accident. While the pilot was certified for night VFR operations, the investigation noted that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or cockpit voice recorder.
Search efforts were initiated after an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was detected by an airline crew and the satellite system. However, the search for the wreckage was significantly delayed by dense ground fog. The wreckage was eventually located by a ground party using portable direction finding equipment at approximately 0525 EDT the following morning.
Findings
- The aircraft struck the ground while the pilot was executing a turn onto the final approach.
- The pilot lost visual reference with the ground, likely due to the presence of shallow ground fog.
- The aircraft was maneuvering at low altitudes (descending from 1,000 feet) when it entered the fog layer, obscuring the runway lights.
- The lack of a filed flight plan or itinerary meant that search and rescue agencies were not alerted to the flight's status, leaving the ELT as the only means of locating the site.