Accident Overview
A Piper PA-31-310, registration C-FARL, serial number 31306, operated by Les Ailes de Gaspé Inc., departed on a visual flight rules flight from Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec to Gaspé, Quebec with one pilot and two passengers. While en route, the pilot was informed of weather conditions at Gaspé: a ceiling of 500 feet and visibility of ¾ mile in fog. The pilot requested and received clearance for an instrument approach at approximately 1857 eastern daylight time. Seconds later, he activated the aerodrome lights using his microphone button; this was the last radio transmission from the aircraft.
When the aircraft did not arrive at its destination, emergency procedures were initiated. The wreckage was found the next day at 1028 eastern daylight time on a hilltop 1.2 nautical miles northeast of the airport. The aircraft was destroyed but did not catch fire. The three occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation identified the cause of the accident as the pilot descending to the minimum descent altitude (MDA) without being established on the localizer track, placing himself in a precarious situation with respect to the approach and obstruction clearance. On the instrument approach, the pilot continued the descent below the MDA without the required visual references, resulting in controlled flight into terrain (CFIT).
Additional Findings
The investigation noted that the aircraft was not equipped, nor required to be, with a ground proximity warning system (GPWS) or a radio altimeter; either would have allowed the pilot to perceive the aircraft's proximity to the ground. The presence of a co-pilot would have allowed task sharing, which could have facilitated identification of deviations from the approach profile. Existing regulations were found to not provide adequate protection against ground impact during instrument approaches in reduced visibility. Additionally, the emergency locator transmitter (ELT) failed to emit a distress signal because its battery disconnected upon impact, delaying the location of the wreckage until the next day, which could have had serious consequences if there had been survivors.