Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain Collision with Terrain at Rainbow Lake

Incident Overview and Immediate Response On the night of the occurrence, a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain, serial number 31-8152096, operated by Airco Aircraft Charters for Northern Sky Aviation, departed Rainbow Lake Airport on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight to Edmonton. Shortly after take-off from runway 27, the aircraft collided with trees and terrain approximately 3,000 feet west of the departure end of the runway. All nine occupants sustained minor injuries, and the aircraft was substantially damaged. A passenger initiated the local emergency response by cell phone immediately after evacuation. Volunteer ground rescue personnel organized a snowmobile search, while a helicopter was dispatched from the airport for an aerial search. The ground search was hampered by darkness, dense forest, cold temperatures, and deep snow. The helicopter pilot located the wreckage on his first pass over the departure corridor and led the ground rescuers to the site. Rescuers reached the accident site approximately one and one-half hours after the occurrence and assisted all survivors to the Rainbow Lake nursing station.