Accident Overview
A Piper PA-34-200T Seneca, operated by McMurray Aviation, crashed on a night visual flight rules (VFR) charter flight from Fort McMurray, Alberta, to La Loche, Saskatchewan. The aircraft departed at 1750 mountain standard time (MST) with one pilot and five passengers. The wreckage was located the following afternoon after an extensive search. The pilot and one passenger were killed at the time of impact; a second passenger died from injuries the following morning before rescue. The three surviving passengers were transported to hospital with serious injuries.
Flight and Weather
The flight was arranged several hours before departure. The pilot checked weather conditions with the Fort McMurray Flight Service Station (FSS) and filed a VFR flight plan. He was advised by another company pilot that the cloud ceiling at La Loche was about 500 feet above ground level (agl) and as low as 200 feet agl along the west shore of Lac La Loche. The area forecast included the possibility of light to moderate icing in cloud. Observed weather at Fort McMurray at 1800 was an overcast ceiling at 1,000 feet agl with 10 statute miles visibility. At Buffalo Narrows, 53 nautical miles southeast of the accident site, the ceiling was 700 feet agl. La Loche had no official reporting; pilots reported overcast ceilings around 500 feet agl with virga and freezing precipitation west of La Loche.
Wreckage Examination
The wreckage was found at an elevation of about 1,540 feet. The aircraft struck poplar trees at about 1,600 feet in a shallow descent with a right bank of 10 to 15 degrees. It was on course (heading 105 degrees magnetic) with landing gear and flaps retracted. Impact with larger trees detached the wings and tail, and the aircraft came to rest inverted after a 320-foot crash path. A post-crash fire consumed much of the cockpit, fuselage, and wings. Examination revealed both engines were developing power at impact; no pre-crash malfunction was found. No frost or ice was detected on critical surfaces. The emergency locator transmitter was destroyed and did not activate.
Pilot and Operator Information
The pilot held a commercial licence, a Class 3 instructor rating, and an instrument rating, with 2,154 total flight hours (175 multi-engine, 109 on type). He had completed a pilot proficiency check on the accident aircraft type in July 1997. The operator's Flight Operations Manual (FOM) outlined VFR and IFR requirements, but company pilots were not familiar with obstacle clearance requirements for night VFR flight. The aircraft was maintained by a contract maintenance organization; its journey log was destroyed in the fire. The aircraft was equipped for VFR flight but lacked propeller and airframe de-ice systems. The autopilot was unserviceable at the time of the accident.
Toxicology Report
Toxicology testing detected 20 milligrams of ethyl alcohol per 100 millilitres of blood in a sample taken from the pilot four days after the crash. The sample was from the cranium, exposed to heat and putrefaction. According to a study cited in the Journal of Forensic Sciences, postmortem ethanol concentrations can arise from trauma and decomposition, making the result inconclusive regarding the pilot's pre-accident blood-alcohol level.