RICHMOND HILL — The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) report indicated the Cessna 208B Caravan aircraft, operated by Wilderness North Air, lost control due to poor weather, management oversight, group dynamics, flight crew training, cargo restraint, and operating without an emergency locator transmitter.
On Feb. 28, 2023, the aircraft left Nakina Airport heading for Eabametoong First Nation Airport, also known as Fort Hope, with two pilots on board.
According to the report, the flight was supposed to be piloted by a single person, but once the pilot was informed of the gusty winds, an off-duty pilot, who had more experience, offered to join him.
The flight was reported missing when the aircraft did not arrive at its destination.
With support from the OPP and Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources, the Royal Canadian Air Force, Canadian Coast Guard, and the volunteer Civil Air Search and Rescue Association began a search and rescue operation shortly after.
Due to the lack of the emergency locator transmitter, the search continued until March 4 when the aircraft wreckage was found destroyed and both pilots were dead.
The crashed plane was discovered just south of Chaucer Lake, roughly 60 kilometres north of Nakina, about one-third of the way along its planned route to Eabametoong First Nation.
The investigation concluded the emergency locator transmitter had been removed for recertification.
Based on the high-speed and medium-angle impact on the ground, the TSB determined a loss of control had occurred.
However, points out that there wasn’t enough information available to determine the cause of the crash.
The report points out that both pilots held the appropriate licences and flight training scores and there was no indication either pilot’s performance was affected by fatigue or medical factors.
The aircraft itself was in working order with no outstanding defects.
