What happened
During an approach to Montreal-Dorval Airport, the flight crew encountered challenging meteorological conditions characterized by falling snow and restricted visibility. After an initial inability to identify the runway, the pilot performed a go-around procedure. A subsequent attempt to land was also aborted due to the persistent lack of visual cues.
During a third landing attempt, the aircraft descended beneath the established glide path in an effort to regain visual contact with the terrain. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft striking the ground short of the runway threshold. The force of the impact caused the undercarriage to separate from the airframe. Following the collision, the plane slid through an open field before coming to a complete stop several dozen meters from the runway.
There were no fatalities during the incident, as all eight occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage safely. While the passengers and crew escaped without injury, the aircraft was determined to be a total loss due to the extent of the structural damage.
Findings
Investigations into the accident concluded that the primary factor was the decision by the flight crew to descend below the minimum descent altitude (MDA) while operating in marginal weather conditions.