What happened
On a night-time charter flight originating from Edmonton, Alberta, a Piper Navajo Chieftain PA-31-350 was traveling to Stony Rapids, Saskatchewan. The flight, which carried one pilot and six passengers, was operating under instrument flight rules. During the arrival process at Stony Rapids, the pilot performed a non-directional beacon approach but was unable to land, resulting in a missed approach. A subsequent attempt at an approach also failed.
At approximately 2200 central standard time, while the aircraft was maneuvering to align with runway 06, it collided with trees. The impact occurred roughly 3.5 nautical miles west of the runway 06 threshold and approximately 0.25 nautical miles to the left of the runway centerline, at an elevation of 1200 feet above sea level. While the aircraft suffered substantial damage, there was no post-crash fire.
In the aftermath of the impact, the pilot and one passenger suffered serious injuries, while the other five passengers sustained minor injuries. Rescue operations began around 0300, involving Canadian Forces search and rescue specialists who were deployed to the site via air-drop, followed by assistance from local ground search teams.
Findings
- The aircraft struck trees while attempting to maneuver for landing on runway 06 following two unsuccessful approach attempts.