Accident Overview
A seaplane on a charter flight from Dragon Lake to Isaac Lake, located 65 miles east, crashed in a wooded area approximately 12 miles northeast of Quesnel, British Columbia. The aircraft struck trees and was completely destroyed by fire. All four occupants—three passengers and the pilot—were killed.
Sequence of Events
During the flight, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to low clouds. At takeoff from Dragon Lake, the aircraft was 359 pounds overweight, and the center of gravity was 1.5 inches aft of the aft limit. After 45 minutes of flight, the aircraft would be 200 pounds overweight with a center of gravity 0.5 inch aft of the limit. The pilot was flying under visual flight rules (VFR) when the aircraft entered instrument meteorological conditions (IMC), resulting in a loss of control.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the pilot lost control of the airplane while flying under VFR mode in IMC conditions.