2010 Goose Bay to Cartwright and Black Tickle Flight Accident (C-FZSD)

Flight and Disappearance The aircraft departed Goose Bay, Newfoundland and Labrador, on a round trip to Cartwright and Black Tickle. The pilot was scheduled to deliver freight to Cartwright and a passenger plus freight to Black Tickle. At approximately 0905, the pilot radioed that the aircraft was 60 nautical miles west of Cartwright. No further radio broadcasts were received, and the aircraft did not arrive at its destination. It was reported missing at 1010. ## Search and Recovery Poor weather hampered the search. On 28 May 2010, at about 2200, wreckage was located on a plateau in the Mealy Mountains. Both occupants were fatally injured. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post-crash fire. No emergency locator transmitter was on board, so no signal was received. ## Official Findings The pilot conducted a visual flight rules (VFR) flight into deteriorating weather in a mountainous region. The pilot lost visual reference with the ground, and the aircraft struck rising terrain in level, controlled flight. Risk findings noted that the absence of a functioning emergency locator transmitter hindered timely location, that not applying current altimeter settings along a route—especially from high to low pressure—may reduce obstacle clearance, and that without a requirement for terrain awareness warning systems, the risk of similar accidents would continue.