What happened
On a flight from Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon to Havre-Saint-Pierre, an Air Satellite Cessna 402B was transporting mail under instrument flight rules. While the flight began in visual meteorological conditions, the aircraft encountered snow showers during its descent. Approximately 25 nautical miles from the destination, the pilot requested weather updates from the Sept-Îles Flight Service Station using a report that was three hours old.
As the pilot initiated a back course approach for runway 27, the aircraft entered an area of moderate turbulence. During this phase, the pilot attempted to communicate with company personnel to verify local weather conditions. While managing radio communications and navigating through the snow, the aircraft experienced a right bank. The pilot attempted a correction, but the aircraft's wheels made contact with the ground. The Cessna 402B subsequently crashed and slid approximately 100 feet on its belly, coming to rest on marshy terrain about 1.5 nautical miles from the runway threshold.
Due to the difficult terrain and low visibility, initial search efforts by ground crews were unsuccessful. However, a search and rescue helicopter located the wreckage five hours later by tracking a weak signal from the emergency locator transmitter. The pilot survived the impact with minor injuries.
Findings
- The pilot was managing radio communications to obtain updated weather information while simultaneously navigating through turbulence and snow showers.
- The weather report used by the pilot was outdated, having been issued three hours prior to the request.