Accident Details
The privately owned Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) Westwind II aircraft was en route from Edmonton Municipal Airport, Alberta, to Meadow Lake aerodrome, Saskatchewan. Low ceilings and reduced visibility were reported near the destination. The crew completed a straight-in instrument approach to runway 08 and initiated a circling procedure south of the aerodrome to set up for landing on runway 26.
During the approach, the aircraft passed overhead the aerodrome at approximately 400 feet above ground level (agl). It then turned and proceeded in level flight toward the southeast. About two and one-half miles from the aerodrome, the aircraft entered a series of steep-banked rolling maneuvers. Immediately following these maneuvers, the aircraft descended and struck the ground in a nose-high, slightly right-wing-low attitude.
Impact and Post-Crash Fire
The ground impact produced very high deceleration forces. The aircraft broke into several sections; internal fuel tanks ruptured, and fuel was sprayed forward and outward from the initial impact point. A severe post-crash fire erupted and engulfed the entire wreckage trail. Emergency medical services and firefighters from Meadow Lake responded, arriving within minutes of the accident. Both pilots died in the crash.
Official Probable Cause
While circling to land on runway 26, the aircraft performed a non-typical circling procedure at a lower than published circling altitude, leading to loss of control consistent with an accelerated stall, and descended into terrain before recovery could be completed. Whiteout conditions may have contributed to this occurrence.