What happened
During a flight conducted under favorable weather conditions, an aircraft experienced a loss of control while cruising. The plane entered a stall and subsequently struck a mountain slope situated approximately 12 miles from Kijik Lake. Search efforts located the wreckage one day after the incident occurred. There were eight fatalities among the occupants of the aircraft.
Findings
Investigations into the crash identified that the pilot's focus shifted away from the necessary flight controls, leading to a failure to preserve adequate airspeed. This resulted in an aerodynamic stall during the flight. The investigation also highlighted two significant contributing factors:
- The aircraft was operating at a heavy load weight.
- The loss of control occurred at an altitude that provided insufficient margin for the crew to recover the plane.