Accident Details
A Piper PA-31 aircraft operated by Atlantic Charters was conducting a MEDEVAC flight from Grand Manan, New Brunswick, to Saint John, New Brunswick, and then returning. The aircraft departed Saint John at 0436 Atlantic Daylight Time with two pilots and two passengers. Upon arrival at Grand Manan Airport, the captain attempted to land on Runway 24 but initiated a go-around. During the second approach, with the landing gear extended, the aircraft contacted a road perpendicular to the runway approximately 1,500 feet before the threshold. It then traveled through 100 feet of brush, briefly became airborne, and struck the ground left of the runway centerline about 1,000 feet from the threshold at approximately 0512. The captain and one passenger sustained fatal injuries; the other pilot and second passenger sustained serious injuries. The aircraft was destroyed, and an emergency locator transmitter signal was received. The accident occurred during hours of darkness.
Probable Cause
The official investigation identified the following findings as to causes and contributing factors: 1. The captain commenced the flight with only a single headset on board, thereby preventing shared situational awareness among the crew. 2. It is likely that the weather at the time of both approaches was such that the captain could not see the required visual references to ensure a safe landing. 3. The first officer was focused on locating the runway and was unaware of the captain’s actions during the descent. 4. For undetermined reasons, the captain initiated a steep descent 0.56 nautical miles from the threshold, which went uncorrected until a point from which it was too late to recover. 5. The aircraft contacted a road 0.25 nautical miles short of the runway and struck terrain. 6. The paramedic was not wearing a seatbelt and was not restrained during the impact sequence.