Accident Details
A single-engine airplane on a return flight to its base in Cochrane crashed in a wooded area near Potter Lake. The aircraft was carrying a pilot and two passengers who were flying back from a hunting camp. At the time of the accident, the airplane was cruising at a low altitude to allow the passengers to take pictures. The aircraft went out of control and struck the ground, resulting in its destruction. All three occupants were killed.
Investigation Findings
Investigators determined that the cause of the accident could not be established with certainty. However, it was believed that the flight crew spotted a moose and subsequently initiated a steep turn. During this maneuver, the pilot lost control of the airplane, which entered a steep nose-down and inverted attitude before impacting the terrain.
Examination of the wreckage revealed that the aircraft was not equipped with a ventral fin. The absence of this component was not a violation of any legal requirement. Investigators noted that a ventral fin provides additional directional stability for float-equipped aircraft. The lack of such a fin may have contributed to the loss of control, although this was not identified as a definitive cause.
Probable Cause
The official probable cause states that the cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, it is believed that a moose was spotted and a steep turn was initiated. During the turn, the pilot lost control of the aircraft, which went into a steep nose-down and inverted attitude. It was reported that the aircraft did not have a ventral fin installed, and this was not a legal requirement. The fin makes a float-equipped aircraft much more directionally stable.