What happened
A twin-engine aircraft departed Churchill Falls Airport at 18:00 local time, scheduled for a 20-minute flight to Wabush. As the flight approached its destination, Moncton Centre issued a clearance for the crew to execute an ADF approach using the WK beacon. This specific procedure had been cancelled six months prior; the only active instrument approach at the time was based on the WZ beacon. The copilot acknowledged and read back this instruction.
At 18:29 local time, the pilot informed the tower that the aircraft had crossed the beacon and was on final approach to the runway. However, witnesses later observed the plane flying north of the WK beacon, clear of cloud cover, on a northerly heading. Because the crew utilized the incorrect beacon, the approach pattern was displaced six miles north of its intended path. Having passed over a beacon they believed to be south of the airfield, the pilot continued at minimum approach altitude. The aircraft subsequently struck a rock face at a lighted open-pit mine located 5.5 miles north of the WK beacon. There were eight fatalities among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations revealed that air traffic control cleared the pilot to use an approach procedure that was no longer in service. While the pilot was an itinerant operator with current publications, there was documented confusion among both ATC staff and some pilots regarding whether the WK procedure had been officially revoked.
Technical issues also contributed to the accident. One of the two ADF units on the aircraft was unserviceable, which violated the requirements for instrument flight rules in that specific region. Furthermore, the copilot, who did not hold an instrument rating, accepted the erroneous clearance. The investigation noted that the crew's ability to manage the IFR night flight may have been compromised by the lack of instrument proficiency and the use of a cancelled approach procedure.