Accident Overview
On a night visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Vancouver International Airport to Victoria International Airport, British Columbia, Regency Express Air Operations Flight 434, a Cessna 208 Caravan (serial number 208B0061), collided with trees on Saltspring Island approximately five nautical miles north of Victoria International Airport. The aircraft broke apart on impact and a post-crash fire ensued. The two pilots, the only occupants, sustained fatal injuries, and the aircraft was destroyed. The accident occurred at 0030 Pacific standard time.
Official Findings
Causes and Contributing Factors
A. Although weather information was available by radio from the Vancouver Flight Service Station specialists or from the Victoria Terminal controllers, there is no indication that the pilots requested weather updates from either of these units.
B. The crew of RXX434 would have encountered a lower ceiling in the vicinity of Beaver Point. This lower cloud layer would have restricted the crew's view of ground lighting and reduced ambient lighting available for visual navigation.
C. With the loss of ground references, it is unlikely that the crew would have been able to perceive the divergence of the aircraft's flight path from its intended track by visual means.
D. The crew was unable to maintain separation between the aircraft and the terrain by visual means.
E. The published VFR arrival and departure routes for Victoria were not consistent with obstacle clearance requirements for commercial operators.
F. Regency Express Air Operations' crew manual suggested an en route altitude of 1,500 feet for this flight. That route and altitude combination is not consistent with published obstacle clearance requirements.
Other Findings
1. At the time the crew completed their flight planning, the weather at the departure airport (Vancouver) and the arrival airport (Victoria) was suitable for a night VFR flight.
2. An amended terminal forecast for Victoria indicating the presence of a temporary ceiling at 2,000 feet above sea level was issued after the crew had completed their preflight planning activities.
3. The regulation requiring Ground Proximity Warning System (GPWS) equipment does not apply to air taxi operations because the aircraft used in those operations do not meet weight or propulsion criteria.