What happened
A charter flight originally traveling from Grand Manan, New Brunswick, to Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, was returning to its point of origin on the night of the accident. After completing a passenger drop-off in Yarmouth, the aircraft departed at 2106 ADT for a night visual flight. Upon reaching Grand Manan, the pilot attempted an initial visual approach but was forced to abandon it due to poor weather conditions.
During a subsequent attempt to land, the pilot observed a need for increased right rudder input to keep the aircraft on course and noted a drop in manifold pressure in the left engine. In response, the pilot feathered the propeller on the left engine. However, even with the right engine at full power, the aircraft failed to gain altitude or speed. The aircraft entered a shallow descent into a fog layer, eventually striking trees before the nose pitched down and hit the ground. The impact and a subsequent fire resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. The pilot sustained serious injuries but successfully exited the wreckage and reached a nearby cabin, where rescuers located him approximately three hours later.
Findings
- The pilot experienced a loss of power in the left engine during the second approach.
- Low visibility and fog conditions contributed to the difficulty of the visual approach.