What happened
On a scheduled courier flight from Moncton, New Brunswick, to Bathurst, the Piper Navajo Chieftain registered as C-GNPG was performing a night operation under instrument meteorological conditions. The aircraft, operated by Empress 204, was manned by a two-person crew and was not transporting any cargo at the time of the incident.
After climbing to an altitude of 8,000 feet, the flight received clearance from the Moncton Area Control Centre to begin its approach into Bathurst. The co-pilot notified the local UNICOM that the flight intended to utilize the NDB/DME runway 10 approach procedure. During the execution of this non-precision instrument approach, the aircraft impacted trees located approximately 3.75 nautical miles from the airport and 0.75 nautical miles before reaching the Bathurst beacon.
The impact occurred at an elevation of 450 feet during the hours of darkness. The accident resulted in two fatalities, as both pilots on board were killed.
Findings
Investigations into the crash determined that the crew permitted the aircraft to descend below the established minimum descent altitude required for the approach.