What happened
A scheduled cargo operation traveling from Nanaimo, British Columbia, to the civilian terminal at Comox, British Columbia, resulted in a fatal accident. While flying over Hornby Island, approximately 12 nautical miles southeast of Comox, the crew contacted the Comox tower at an altitude of roughly 2000 feet. The flight crew requested a practice back course/localizer approach for Runway 30, with the intention of circling to land on Runway 18.
As the aircraft approached within two miles of the Runway 30 threshold, the crew reported an emergency involving a fire in the right engine. Following this declaration, the tower notified airport emergency response units and requested information regarding the fuel load and personnel on board. Within 30 seconds of the initial report, the aircraft caught fire. At 0741 Pacific daylight time, the aircraft entered an inverted roll and impacted the ground in a steep, nose-down, left-wing-low position. The impact caused the aircraft to break apart and burn. There were two fatalities among the crew.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced an engine fire in the right engine during the approach phase.
- The aircraft's descent into the ground was characterized by a steep, inverted attitude following the fire.