Accident Overview
On a visual flight rules (VFR) flight from Sept-Îles, Quebec, to Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador, a twin-engine aircraft operated by Aéropro crashed on the frozen surface of Grand lac Germain. The pilot, the sole occupant, was fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces.
Flight History
The pilot took off around 0630 eastern daylight time. Shortly before 0700, the aircraft deviated from its intended route and proceeded to Grand lac Germain to overfly a friend's cottage. Around 0700, the aircraft overflew the southeast bay of the lake once, then made a second pass. It then turned northeast and disappeared behind trees. A few seconds later, the aircraft crashed onto the frozen lake.
Investigation Findings
The investigation identified that the aircraft stalled at an altitude too low for recovery. Additionally, the steep right bank during the maneuver considerably increased the aircraft's stall speed. The aircraft was flying at an altitude that did not allow time for recovery from a loss of control or obstacle collision.
The pilot's flight time, duty time, and rest period recording form had not been updated for over a month, preventing the company manager from monitoring hours. Furthermore, at the time of the occurrence, Aéropro's operations manual did not include daytime VFR flight restrictions required by Canadian Aviation Regulations Section 703.27.
Other Findings
The aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder (FDR) or cockpit voice recorder (CVR), limiting investigation scope. Additionally, because the flight was a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC), the company mistakenly informed the search and rescue centre that two pilots were aboard when the aircraft was reported missing.