Accident Details
On a charter visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Kangiqsujuaq, Quebec, to Kuujjuaq, Quebec, a Piper Navajo PA-31 (serial number 318012021) operated by Les transports Aéro 2000 Inc. crashed. The aircraft carried three passengers and one pilot. At 1056 eastern daylight saving time (EDT), the pilot contacted the Kuujjuaq flight service station (FSS) and reported that he had taken off eight minutes earlier and intended to overfly the Nouveau-Québec crater. This was the last communication from the pilot.
Search and Wreckage
When the aircraft did not arrive at Kuujjuaq at the expected time, a search was initiated. The following day, a ground search team located the wreckage. The Navajo had struck the eastern slope of the Nouveau-Québec crater while in straight and level flight. All four occupants sustained fatal injuries.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the pilot continued flight in adverse weather conditions. It is possible that the pilot lost situational awareness due to incorrect information provided by the GPS. The pilot evidently did not have the necessary visual references to avoid striking the eastern slope of the Nouveau-Québec crater.