What happened
During a scheduled cargo operation traveling from Nain toward Goose Bay, the pilot contacted air traffic control to report technical difficulties with the aircraft. In response to these reported issues, controllers authorized a descent from 7,500 feet down to 3,500 feet.
Following this descent, the aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent. The plane impacted the terrain approximately 51 kilometers southwest of Postville while maintaining a 55-degree nose-down pitch. The pilot, who was the only person on board the aircraft, was killed in the impact. At the time of the crash, the local weather was reported as favorable, with no presence of atmospheric turbulence or icing conditions.
Findings
- The aircraft was operating in clear weather conditions without any significant meteorological interference such as icing or turbulence.
- The incident involved an uncontrolled descent following the pilot's report of problems to air traffic control.