What happened
On the morning of the accident, an Aéropro aircraft departed from Sept-Îles, Quebec, bound for Wabush, Newfoundland and Labrador. The flight was being conducted under visual flight rules. The pilot, who was the only person on board, initiated takeoff at approximately 06:30 eastern daylight time.
During the flight, the aircraft deviated from its intended flight path. The pilot steered the plane toward Grand lac Germain with the intention of flying over a friend's cottage. The aircraft passed over the southeast portion of the lake at roughly 07:00, after which the pilot performed a second pass over the area.
Following this second pass, the twin-engine aircraft traveled in a northeasterly direction and moved out of sight behind the treeline. Shortly thereafter, the plane struck the frozen surface of the lake. The impact resulted in the death of the pilot and the total destruction of the aircraft.
Findings
- The flight path was altered from the original route to visit a specific location near Grand lac Germain.
- The crash occurred on the frozen surface of the lake following a period of flight behind the forest canopy.