Piper Navajo crashes into Nouveau-Québec crater during charter flight

Casualties unknown • Nouveau-Québec Crater, Quebec, CA

A charter flight flying over northern Quebec ended in a fatal collision with terrain after the pilot encountered whiteout conditions and navigational errors.

What happened

On May 30, 1996, a Piper Navajo PA-31, registration C-GRPM, was conducting a VFR charter flight from Kangiqsujuaq to Kuujjuaq, Quebec. The flight, operated by Les transports Aéro 2000 Inc., included one pilot and three passengers. The flight plan involved overflying the Nouveau-Québec crater to allow passengers to photograph the landscape.

After departing Kangiqsujuaq, the pilot contacted the Kuujjuaq flight service station to report the aircraft was en route. However, the aircraft failed to arrive at its destination, prompting a search operation. The next day, ground teams located the wreckage on the eastern slope of the crater. The impact, which occurred while the aircraft was in straight and level flight, resulted in four fatalities.

The investigation

Investigators examined the wreckage and found no evidence of mechanical failure, engine issues, or fire. The aircraft's engines were running at the same RPM upon impact, and the weight and balance were within limits. The aircraft was maintained according to regulations but lacked a radio altimeter or a ground proximity warning system (GPWS).

Analysis of the GPS revealed that the coordinates entered for the crater were incorrect, placing the waypoint 2.5 nautical miles east of the actual crater. This discrepancy meant the pilot reached the crater's location approximately one minute earlier than anticipated. Additionally, while the pilot had checked weather for Kangiqsujuaq and Kuujjuaq, he had not requested an area forecast for the route. While conditions at departure were favorable, weather in the crater area had deteriorated, with visibility significantly reduced by fog and drizzle.

Findings

  • The pilot continued the flight despite encountering adverse weather conditions.
  • Local atmospheric conditions and the snow-covered terrain were conducive to whiteout, which obscured the horizon and terrain.
  • The pilot likely lost situational awareness because the incorrect GPS coordinates caused the aircraft to arrive at the crater's location sooner than expected.
  • The aircraft was not equipped with a GPWS or radio altimeter, which could have provided terrain warnings.
  • The ELT selector switch was found in the OFF position, and the device did not activate upon impact.

Probable cause

The pilot continued flight into adverse weather conditions and likely lost situational awareness due to reliance on incorrect GPS coordinates, ultimately failing to maintain the visual references necessary to avoid the terrain.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1996-05-30 Piper PA-31 Navajo C-GRPM accident near Nouveau-Québec Crater, Quebec, CA?

A charter flight flying over northern Quebec ended in a fatal collision with terrain after the pilot encountered whiteout conditions and navigational errors.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1996-05-30 involved a Piper PA-31 Navajo C-GRPM, operated by Les Transports Aéro 2000 Inc., at Nouveau-Québec Crater, Quebec, CA.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The pilot continued flight into adverse weather conditions and likely lost situational awareness due to reliance on incorrect GPS coordinates, ultimately failing to maintain the visual references necessary to avoid the terrain.

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