What happened
On a multi-leg cargo mission originating in Vancouver, a Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain, registered as C-GNAF, was performing the final segment of a route including stops in Nanaimo and Victoria. Operating under visual flight rules, the aircraft was positioned on the final approach to Runway 26 Right at Vancouver International Airport. During this phase, the aircraft was flying approximately 700 feet below and 1.5 nautical miles behind the flight path of a larger Airbus A321. The flight was the third in the landing sequence at the time of the incident.
At 22:08 PDT, the aircraft vanished from tower radar surveillance. The plane subsequently struck the ground within an industrial zone in Richmond, British Columbia, roughly 3 nautical miles from the start of the runway. The collision resulted in a post-impact fire and explosion. There were 2 fatalities among the crew members on board. While the crash caused damage to property on the ground, no individuals on the earth were injured. The aircraft's emergency locator transmitter was rendered inoperable during the impact, preventing the transmission of a distress signal.
Findings
At the time of the accident, the aircraft was operating in visual meteorological conditions, though the final minutes of the flight occurred in total darkness. The aircraft was positioned significantly lower than the preceding heavy jet on the same approach path.