What happened
A flight training session departed from Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport, Ontario, heading northeast. About 50 minutes into the flight, the aircraft entered a training area where it struck the ground near a roadway. The impact resulted in two fatalities, involving both the instructor and the student.
Witnesses observed the aircraft traveling south, parallel to a road, just before the accident. While the engine was initially audible, the sound significantly diminished shortly after the aircraft became visible. The aircraft was seen pitching up and then dropping, while rolling heavily from side to side at an altitude of less than 100 feet agl. The aircraft's right wing struck a tree immediately before the plane hit the ground in a steep, nose-down attitude of more than 60 degrees.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical condition of the aircraft, the flight parameters, and the crew's performance. The aircraft was being operated for the purpose of practicing slow flight and stalls. Investigators found that the instructor was fully qualified and licensed for the lesson, and the student had approximately 6.1 hours of total flight time. There was no evidence that physiological factors or incapacitation affected the crew.
Technical examinations of the engine, systems, and airframe showed no pre-existing damage or mechanical failures that would have prevented the engine from producing rated power. The aircraft's weight and center of gravity were within legal limits, and the flaps were retracted at the time of the crash. Analysis of the wreckage and witness marks on the control surfaces suggested the engine was likely at a low power setting during the final moments.
Findings
- The aircraft was in a stalled condition at the time of impact, characterized by a low forward speed and a high rate of descent.
- Control surface markings indicated that, just before impact, the elevators were commanding a nose-up movement, while the rudder and ailerons were deflected to the left.
- It could not be determined why the aircraft entered the stall or why the crew was unable to complete the recovery before hitting the ground.