Accident Details
A privately owned Cessna 414A departed Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport, Ontario, en route to Sydney, Nova Scotia, under an instrument flight rules flight plan. The pilot-in-command and the aircraft owner were on board. Nearing Sydney, the aircraft was cleared for an instrument approach. At the final approach waypoint, the pilot was advised to discontinue the approach due to conflicting traffic. While manoeuvring for a second approach, the aircraft departed controlled flight, entered a rapid descent, and impacted the water at 2335 Atlantic Daylight Time. The wreckage was located 11 days later using side-scan sonar in 170 feet of water. The aircraft was destroyed, and both occupants were fatally injured. No signal was detected from the emergency locator transmitter.
Investigation Findings
The investigation could not conclusively determine who was flying the aircraft at the time of the occurrence. The lack of onboard recording devices prevented determining why the aircraft departed controlled flight. The practice of placing aircraft technical records on board may impede investigations if the records are lost.
Probable Cause
Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors: 1. It is likely that the PIC and the owner were both suffering some degree of spatial disorientation during the final portion of the flight. This resulted in a loss of control of the aircraft and the crew was unable to recover prior to contacting the surface of the water. 2. The PIC did not accept assistance in the form of radar vectors, which contributed to the workload during the approach. 3. Self-imposed pressure likely influenced the crew’s decision to depart Buttonville despite the flight conditions, lengthy day, and lack of experience with the aircraft and the destination airport.