What happened
On a night flight under instrument meteorological conditions, a Mitsubishi MU-2B-40 Solitaire departed from Parry Sound / Georgian Bay Airport in Ontario, headed for Toronto / Lester B. Pearson International Airport. The flight was being conducted under instrument flight rules. Before takeoff, the pilot obtained an IFR clearance via telephone from the Sault Ste. Marie flight service station, with the clearance period set between 21:18 and 21:35 eastern daylight time.
After the aircraft failed to contact the Toronto Area Control Centre within the designated clearance window, a supervisor initiated a search for communication. At 21:51, airport staff at Parry Sound / Georgian Bay Airport confirmed that the aircraft had taken off approximately 10 to 15 minutes prior. Following the failure to establish contact, the aircraft was declared missing, and the Rescue Coordination Centre in Trenton, Ontario, was alerted.
Search and rescue operations were launched, and the wreckage was discovered three days later, located roughly one nautical mile west of the departure airport. The impact caused the aircraft to break apart while moving through a poplar forest, leaving a path approximately 306 feet long. There were two fatalities involving the pilot and one passenger.
Findings
- The accident occurred during a night flight in instrument meteorological conditions.
- The aircraft struck a forest, resulting in its disintegration.