What happened
The aircraft departed Chatham on a scheduled navigation training mission. During the flight, weather conditions deteriorated significantly, with low visibility caused by fog causing the crew to lose their position. As a result of navigating in these poor conditions, the airplane exhausted its fuel supply. The pilot attempted an emergency landing but was forced to ditch the aircraft in the Nepisiguit River, located southeast of Bathurst. Rescue operations recovered three members of the crew, while one navigator perished in the water.
Findings
The official investigation identified the primary cause as a fuel exhaustion that necessitated an emergency landing. A significant contributing factor was the lack of visibility due to fog, which led to the crew becoming lost and consuming more fuel than planned.