What happened
On a flight operating under instrument flight rules, a Bearskin flight departing Red Lake, Ontario, was traveling toward Sioux Lookout. At 1300 CDT, the Fairchild Swearing 23 was carrying two pilots and one passenger. Shortly before 1330, the crew notified the Sioux Lookout Flight Service Station that they intended to cancel their IFR status while approximately 14 nautical miles from the destination.
Simultaneously, an Air Sandy flight, operating a Piper Navajo PA-31, departed Sioux Lookout for Red Lake with one pilot and four passengers. After departing under visual flight rules, the Air Sandy aircraft was reported clear of the Sioux Lookout control zone at 1326.
At 1328, while the flight service specialist was providing an airport advisory to the Bearskin crew, an emergency locator transmitter signal was detected on emergency frequencies. At the same time, a pilot from a separate Bearskin Beechcraft B-99 reported seeing a bright flare in the sky and observing a fire in a forested area. Following an immediate search, it was determined that the two aircraft had collided in mid-air. The wreckage of the Air Sandy aircraft was found at the crash site, and debris and fuel slicks were observed on Lac Seul. It was subsequently confirmed that the Fairchild Swearing 23 had also crashed into the lake.
Findings
The collision occurred during daylight hours under visual meteorological conditions. The accident resulted in eight fatalities, involving all three occupants of the Bearskin aircraft and all five occupants of the Air Sandy aircraft. The mid-air collision between the two aircraft was the primary cause of the accident.