History of the Flight
The pilot, employed to conduct sightseeing flights for a tour group, departed Stewart, British Columbia, at approximately 1330 Pacific daylight saving time with five passengers. The flight was intended to cover glaciers west of Stewart. When the aircraft did not return by 1540, tour members alerted search and rescue. The wreckage was located at about 2100 the same evening on the Mackie glacier at an elevation of 6,500 feet above sea level. The aircraft had crashed at approximately 1400. There were no witnesses.
Injuries and Damage
The pilot and five passengers sustained fatal injuries. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces. No other damage occurred.
Personnel Information
The 38-year-old commercial pilot held a valid license and medical certificate. He had 970 total flying hours, including 28 hours on the accident aircraft type. His instrument experience was limited to basic training. The pilot co-owned the company and was its only pilot. He had received a one-hour flight check on the accident aircraft three weeks prior, which was satisfactory.
Aircraft Information
The aircraft was a 1966 Piper PA-32-260, serial number 32-134, with a valid certificate of airworthiness. It was powered by a single Avco Lycoming O-540-E4B5 engine. Total airframe time was 2,213 hours. The last scheduled maintenance was on March 1, 1994. The journey logbook had no entries after April 7, 1994, although the aircraft was used for commercial flights after that date. The aircraft's registration conversion from private to commercial was not completed at the time of the accident.
Meteorological Information
Photographs from the passengers' cameras showed clear conditions near the accident site with some cloud obscuring ridges. A weather aftercast indicated a weak cold front and a ridge of high pressure. Scattered to broken cumulus clouds were based at 5,000 feet, with towering cumulus to 18,000 feet generating isolated showers. Visibility was generally over 15 miles but reduced to 6 miles in showers, and to 1 mile in snow above the freezing level (4,000 feet). Light to moderate icing was possible in convective cloud. Winds were southwest at less than 15 knots, with light mechanical turbulence, but moderate turbulence near convective clouds.
Weight and Balance
The exact fuel load at departure was unknown. Based on typical loading, the estimated takeoff weight was 3,100 pounds, within the maximum allowable 3,400 pounds. The computed center of gravity at occurrence weight was 94 inches aft of datum, within the allowable range of 87 to 96 inches.
Wreckage and Impact
The aircraft struck the snow-covered glacier on a westerly heading at high speed and in a steep nose-down attitude. The left wing separated, the fuselage was demolished, and the tail cone telescoped. The wreckage was examined at a facility three months later. Both wings were broken chordwise. The engine showed no pre-impact failure and was capable of full power. No fuel sample could be obtained due to ruptured tanks.
Aircraft Performance
According to the Piper PA-32 owner's manual, the aircraft should have been capable of a climb rate of 600 feet per minute at a density altitude of 6,500 feet, with an indicated airspeed of approximately 100 mph for maximum rate of climb.
Communications
The pilot made normal departure transmissions on the Stewart aerodrome frequency, heard by another pilot. No further communications were received.
Medical Information
No evidence of incapacitation or physiological or psychological factors affecting pilot performance was found.
Survival Aspects
The high impact forces made the accident unsurvivable. No survival equipment details were reported.