Accident Overview
On a VFR scheduled flight from Tofino to Vancouver, the aircraft was carrying 10 passengers and one pilot. While cruising southwest of Nanaimo, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions with a cloud ceiling at 2,800 feet. The airplane entered a valley, and the pilot attempted a steep right turn at 45°. During the turn, the airplane impacted trees and crashed in hilly terrain approximately 5 km west of Mt Hooper. The aircraft was destroyed, and all 11 occupants were killed.
Pilot and Flight Details
The pilot was identified as J. R. Ferguson. The flight was a scheduled VFR operation. No specific aircraft type, registration, or operator was stated in the source.
Sequence of Events
The pilot entered the valley at a lower altitude than normal due to the low cloud ceiling, expecting to find the pass open. Upon viewing the pass area, he commenced a turn immediately. At that time, the aircraft was at a high cruise speed with flaps up, resulting in a high turning radius. This brought the aircraft into a part of the valley where a 250° turn was necessary to exit. During the turn, the pilot lowered the nose to avoid a stall. The aircraft lost height due to the turn and struck the ground after completing 250° of the turn.
Probable Cause
According to the official investigation, the probable cause is as stated: The pilot entered the valley at a lower altitude than normal due to a low ceiling and expected to find the pass open. He commenced his turn immediately on viewing the pass area; being at a high cruise speed and with flaps up his turning radius was high and brought him into a part of the valley where a 250° turn was necessary to leave the valley. The pilot lowered the nose of the aircraft during the turn to avoid a stall. The aircraft lost height due to the turn, and struck the ground after 250° of a turn was completed.