Accident Overview
At 1108 mountain daylight time on 08 October 2000, a Short Brothers SC-7 Skyvan (serial number SH1953) operated by Summit Air Charters Ltd. departed Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on a visual flight rules flight planned to last six hours. The route included stops at Kugluktuk, Nunavut, and Port Radium, Northwest Territories, before returning to Yellowknife. The flight plan indicated a one-hour stop in Kugluktuk, with an estimated arrival time at Yellowknife of 1710.
The pilot-in-command was the chief pilot of Summit Air Charters Ltd. A cargo handler, who was also a pilot, occupied the co-pilot's seat, and there was one passenger.
Search and Wreckage Recovery
When the aircraft failed to arrive at Yellowknife, Search and Rescue (SAR) were alerted and a search commenced. At 2202, SAR personnel confirmed that the SAR satellite was receiving an emergency locator transmitter signal in the vicinity of Port Radium. SAR aircraft were directed to the signal location but were unable to sight the wreckage due to fog and freezing rain. The wreckage was located the following day at 1309.
The aircraft had struck the top of steeply rising hills along the east shore of Great Bear Lake, approximately 2.9 nautical miles northeast of the Port Radium airstrip. The crash site is approximately 440 feet above the lake surface and 250 feet above the airstrip elevation. The aircraft was destroyed, and the three persons on board were fatally injured.
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that although the pilot and aircraft were certified for instrument flight, the pilot apparently continued to fly in accordance with visual flight rules after encountering marginal weather conditions and reduced visibility. Additionally, for undetermined reasons, the pilot descended below the elevation of the terrain surrounding the airstrip, resulting in a controlled-flight-into-terrain accident. A risk factor was noted: given the pilot's flying time during the 30 days before the accident, the pilot's performance might have been affected by fatigue.