What happened
A charter flight operating from Barkerville-Wells Airport toward Calgary ended in a fatal accident during the takeoff phase. The aircraft, a twin engine airplane, was returning to Calgary following an inspection of the Mosquito Creek Gold Mine near Wells. While performing the takeoff roll on runway 29, which was covered in one to three inches of snow, the plane failed to achieve flight. The aircraft overran the runway and came to rest in a nearby gravel pit. The impact resulted in four fatalities and left two passengers seriously injured. The aircraft was completely destroyed in the crash.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several contributing factors related to weight, balance, and environmental conditions. The primary cause of the failure to become airborne was that the aircraft was overloaded by roughly 600 pounds, which also resulted in the center of gravity being positioned too far aft. Additionally, the runway surface presented challenges due to its 2.1% upslope and the presence of snow.
Further complications arose during the emergency response. Because the aircraft had undergone a recent repainting, essential markings for the emergency exits were no longer visible. This lack of clear identification significantly obstructed the rescue teams' ability to access the survivors within the wreckage, hindering the overall effectiveness of the recovery efforts.