Accident
On the second leg of a flight from La Ronge, Saskatchewan, a twin-engine aircraft departed the Welcome Bay ice strip at Wollaston Lake, Saskatchewan. On board were two Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) pilots, another RCMP member, and an inspector from the Saskatchewan Department of Public Works. Witnesses reported that the aircraft took off normally, leveled momentarily, then climbed steeply into cloud. Moments later, they heard the engine noise increase abruptly, then decrease rapidly, followed by a sound similar to a backfire. When the aircraft reappeared, it was in a steep, nose-down, right-wing-low attitude. It crashed on the ice, one mile north of Welcome Bay; all four occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation Findings
Investigators reported the following findings:
- Aircraft control was lost for undetermined reasons.
- The pilot departed Wollaston Lake into known icing conditions in an aircraft that was not certified for flight into such conditions.
- There was no evidence of any airframe failure or system malfunction prior to or during the flight.
- The flight crew was certified and qualified for the flight in accordance with existing regulations.
- The aircraft was certified, equipped, and maintained in accordance with existing regulations and approved procedures.
- The aircraft's weight and centre of gravity were within the prescribed limits.
No further details were provided regarding the aircraft type or registration.