Background
The aircraft departed Kildala at 1532 hours carrying twenty passengers and a crew of three, destined for Vancouver.
Flight
At 1733 hours, the aircraft reported over Sullivan Bay and gave an estimated time of arrival (ETA) at Vancouver of 1840. At 1825 hours, due to strong southeast winds, the ETA was revised to 1903. The last radio transmission from the aircraft occurred at 1848 hours, when the crew reported being 20 miles west of Vancouver at 2,000 feet and requested clearance to the tower frequency.
Accident
At approximately 1855 hours, the aircraft crashed into Mount Benson. All occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable Cause
The probable cause of this accident was the continuance of the flight VFR at night under conditions of restricted visibility. Whilst it cannot be determined conclusively, it is probable that through a navigation error the pilot mistook Nanaimo for Vancouver. This may have been precipitated by inadequate pre-flight preparation in that the latest Meteorological Information was not obtained by the pilot before taking off on the south bound flight.