Piper PA-31 crash near Kamloops, British Columbia

1 fatality • Kamloops, Canada • Landing (descent or approach)

A Navair Charter mail courier aircraft crashed into trees during a night approach near Kamloops, resulting in one fatality and one serious injury.

What happened

On a night flight operating under instrument flight rules (IFR), a Piper PA-31 operated by Navair Charter was traveling from Williams Lake, British Columbia, toward Kamloops. The aircraft, acting as a mail courier, was carrying a crew of two. During the execution of an instrument procedure toward the destination airport, the flight crew encountered conditions that were clear of cloud cover.

Following this change in visibility, the captain opted to cancel the IFR flight plan and transitioned to a visual flight rules (VFR) approach. At 1902 PST, the aircraft struck trees at an altitude of 2,400 feet above sea level. The impact occurred approximately seven nautical miles east-southeast of the Kamloops airport.

Findings

The collision resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft due to the impact and a subsequent fire. The crash resulted in one fatality and one serious injury among the crew members.

Probable cause

The aircraft transitioned to visual flight rules and subsequently struck trees during its approach to the airport.

Related events

Same operator

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1995-11-22 Piper PA-31-310 Navajo accident near Kamloops, Canada?

A Navair Charter mail courier aircraft crashed into trees during a night approach near Kamloops, resulting in one fatality and one serious injury.

Were there any fatalities in the 1995-11-22 Piper PA-31-310 Navajo accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1995-11-22 involved a Piper PA-31-310 Navajo, registration C-GKNB, operated by Nav Air Charter, at Kamloops, Canada.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The aircraft transitioned to visual flight rules and subsequently struck trees during its approach to the airport.

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