What happened
The flight departed from Prince Rupert at 16:54 PST, following a route toward Prince George with intended stops at Smithers and Terrace. During the early morning hours, the pilot contacted Terrace Aeradio to request weather updates, noting they were approximately eight minutes from the radio range. The provided meteorological data indicated that visibility and cloud ceilings had fallen below the established minimums required for a safe landing.
Despite these conditions, the crew informed Terrace Operations of their intention to land within roughly 11 minutes. At 01:31, the aircraft reported passing the range, and the crew acknowledged a final wind check. No subsequent communications were received from the aircraft. After the plane failed to arrive as scheduled, the Rescue Co-ordination Centre was notified at 01:46.
Following the commencement of search operations, wreckage was located at 05:15 on the eastern slope of Little Herman Mountain. The aircraft type crashed approximately 3 miles short of the runway threshold at latitude 54° 25' N longitude 128° 34' W. The impact destroyed the aircraft and resulted in 12 fatalities.
Findings
Investigations into the accident identified several critical factors regarding the approach. It was determined that the flight crew proceeded with an approach despite being informed that weather conditions were below published landing minimums. The crew utilized a non-standard, abbreviated approach procedure and descended below the authorized minimum altitude of 1,620 feet MSL. While the captain remained in control of the aircraft throughout the descent, the reasons for continuing the approach below the prescribed altitude remained undetermined.