What happened
On the night of the accident, a Piper PA-31 Navajo Chieftain, registration C-GIPB, departed from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, operating as an IFR charter flight bound for Fort Liard. The aircraft was carrying a total of six people, including the pilot and five passengers.
During the approach to Runway 02, the pilot was performing a non-directional beacon approach involving a circling maneuver. At the time, the area was experiencing weather conditions characterized by moderate to heavy snowfall. At approximately 22:33, the aircraft impacted a gravel bar situated on the western bank of the Liard River. The impact occurred roughly 1.3 nautical miles before reaching the runway threshold and 0.3 nautical miles to the left of the runway centerline.
While the impact caused significant damage to the airframe, no post-crash fire was reported. The accident resulted in three fatalities and left the pilot and two remaining passengers with serious injuries.
Findings
Following the impact, the aircraft's emergency locator transmitter successfully alerted the search and rescue satellite system. This triggered the dispatch of two Canadian Forces aircraft to the region. The wreckage was pinpointed via electronic signals the next morning, allowing a civilian helicopter to reach the crash site approximately ten hours after the initial event.