What happened
A private Cessna 421C was performing a recreational instrument flight from Tofino-Long Beach Airport in British Columbia to Portland International Airport in Oregon. The flight, which included one pilot and two passengers, departed from runway 16 at roughly 12:42 local time.
Shortly after the departure, the occupants noticed flames emerging from the upper portion of the right engine cowling. In response, the pilot turned the aircraft eastward to join the left downwind leg for runway 25, maintaining an altitude of about 320 feet above ground level. As the aircraft attempted a descending steep turn toward the runway 25 threshold, it drifted north of the centerline. During this maneuver, the aircraft's descent rate accelerated.
At 12:43 local time, only one minute after takeoff, the aircraft struck the ground north of runway 25. At the moment of impact, the aircraft was in a wings-level attitude with the landing gear and flaps partially deployed. The impact occurred approximately 206 feet beyond the runway threshold and 157 feet north of the paved surface. Following the collision, the main landing gear detached, and the aircraft slid roughly 450 feet before a fire erupted mid-slide. The wreckage was destroyed by the flames. The accident resulted in two fatalities and one serious injury.
Findings
- The crew observed fire originating from the right engine cowling shortly after takeoff.
- The aircraft experienced an increased rate of descent during a steep descending turn.
- The aircraft drifted north of the runway centerline during the turn.
- No emergency locator transmitter signal was received by the Canadian Mission Control Centre.