What happened
On the evening of December 3, 1993, a Britten-Norman BN2A-20 Islander, operated by Arctic Wings and Rotors, departed from Tuktoyaktuk, Northwest Territories, for a night flight under visual flight rules toward the Inuvik townsite airstrip. The aircraft, registered as C-GMOP, was carrying a total of seven people, including the pilot and six passengers.
Shortly after departing from runway 09 at 17:06 MST, the aircraft began a southerly turn when the right engine suffered a complete loss of power. Between 17:10 and 17:11 MST, the pilot contacted the Tuktoyaktuk Flight Service Station to report engine difficulties and stated an intention to return to the airport. During these communications, the pilot indicated he was approximately six miles from the airfield, though he did not provide a specific altitude. While the pilot's response to an inquiry regarding an emergency declaration was uncertain, the final radio transmission showed signs of stress before communications ceased at 17:13 MST.
Following the failure of the aircraft to arrive at its destination, search operations were launched via air and ground teams. The wreckage was eventually discovered on an ice-covered lake situated roughly eight miles southeast of the Inuvik airstrip. The impact occurred in a steep, nose-down orientation, causing the engines and the forward section of the airframe to break through a two-foot layer of ice. The rest of the plane remained on the surface. All seven occupants perished in the crash.
Findings
Investigation of the site confirmed the aircraft struck the ice at an elevation of approximately 50 feet above sea level. The primary factor in the accident was the loss of power in the right engine during the night flight.