What happened
A Mitsubishi MU-300 Diamond business jet, operated by Lignum Air, was performing an instrument flight rules flight from Williams Lake, British Columbia, to Hinton, Alberta, with two pilots and two passengers on board. During the descent, the crew cancelled their IFR flight plan and transitioned to a visual approach for runway 02 at the Jasper-Hinton Airport.
As the aircraft approached the runway, the crew encountered turbulence and subsiding air, prompting the captain to increase the approach speed from 105 to 115 knots. Upon touchdown, the aircraft was traveling at approximately 110 knots. Despite applying maximum braking, the aircraft could not stop within the remaining runway distance. In an attempt to increase the stopping distance, the captain initiated a swerving maneuver. The aircraft eventually skidded 255 feet past the end of the runway, causing substantial damage to the airframe and a fuel leak from a punctured wing tank. All four occupants escaped without injury.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the meteorological conditions and the crew's decision-making process. Investigators found that the crew had relied on weather information provided by the Edmonton Area Control Centre for the Jasper townsite, which reported calm winds. The crew mistakenly believed this information applied to the Jasper-Hinton Airport. In reality, the airport's automated weather system reported winds of 14 knots gusting to 21 knots.
Further examination revealed that the aircraft was landing on a downsloping runway with a significant tailwind. The investigation also noted that the crew performed a straight-in approach without overflying the airport to visually inspect the wind conditions, a departure from recommended procedures for uncontrolled aerodromes. Additionally, the aircraft was not equipped with an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) at the time of the incident, and the cockpit voice recorder had been deactivated by the company.