What happened
A Cessna 210F was conducting an instrument flight rules (IFR) trip from Cornwall, Ontario, to Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, carrying the pilot, his wife, and three children. During the flight, the pilot reported encountering rain showers while flying at 9000 feet. Shortly thereafter, the aircraft disappeared from radar near the Sherbrooke area. Search and Rescue operations located the wreckage five hours later. The aircraft was destroyed, and all five occupants were killed.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the aircraft's structural failure and the meteorological conditions encountered. Analysis of the wreckage showed that the aircraft's wings suffered substantial damage from upward bending and torsional forces, indicating an in-flight break-up caused by instantaneous overload. The right wing fractured first, subsequently impacting the fin and horizontal stabilizer.
Investigators examined the pilot's experience and the weather information available. The pilot was highly experienced, holding an airline pilot licence and over 5000 flying hours. While the pilot had received significant weather warnings, including a SIGMET regarding thunderstorms and heavy rain, the investigation noted that the aircraft was not equipped with weather radar or a Stormscope detector. Furthermore, while air traffic controllers provided radar vectoring and weather updates, the controllers lacked the specific equipment needed to view Villeroy weather radar data, meaning they were unaware of heavy precipitation cells that were not visible on the ATS radar.
Findings
- The aircraft broke up in flight after entering an area of heavy precipitation and severe turbulence.
- The pilot attempted to navigate through a storm line despite knowing the weather was hazardous.
- The pilot may have overestimated the ability of ATS radar to accurately detect all areas of heavy precipitation.
- The pilot's desire to reach the destination for a family vacation may have influenced the decision to proceed despite the risks.
- The aircraft lacked onboard storm detection instrumentation, such as weather radar.