What happened
On 10 December 2019, a private Piper Aerostar PA-60-602P, registration C-FQYW, was conducting an instrument flight rules approach toward Nanaimo Airport in British Columbia. The flight had originated from Bishop Airport, California, with a planned fuel stop in the United States. During the approach, the pilot contacted air traffic control to discuss weather conditions at nearby Victoria International Airport, noting low visibility and ceilings.
While being vectored to intercept the localizer for Runway 16, the aircraft failed to maintain its assigned course. At approximately 18:04, the pilot notified the controller of an unspecified failure. Shortly thereafter, the pilot reported that the aircraft's attitude indicator had malfunctioned. Following this report, the aircraft entered a continuous right turn while experiencing fluctuations in altitude and airspeed. The final radar contact occurred at 18:05, showing the aircraft at an altitude of only 300 feet.
The aircraft subsequently struck a power pole and trees within a wooded park on Gabriola Island before impacting the ground. The impact caused the airframe to break apart and ignite. All 3 occupants on board sustained fatal injuries.
Findings
Investigation into the crash revealed that the aircraft was equipped with a BendixKing KI 825 electronic horizontal situation indicator (HSI) integrated with the GPS systems. This HSI provides critical heading information to the autopilot. Records indicated that this specific HSI unit had experienced two brief malfunctions earlier in November 2019. Although an appointment for troubleshooting had been scheduled for the day after the accident, there were no entries in the aircraft's journey log documenting these recent defects.
While the investigation could not determine the exact state of the HSI at the moment of impact due to its destruction, the failure of this component likely contributed to the loss of spatial orientation and flight control.