Pilot error to blame for Calgary plane crash that killed 6: report
A formal investigation into a fatal plane crash west of Calgary that killed six people in 2023 says the pilot was ill prepared and was driven by "personal desire" to make the flight.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) released its report into the crash of the private aircraft on Wednesday.
The investigation says the Piper PA-32R aircraft took off from the Springbank Airport on July 28, 2023, on "a visual flight rules flight" to Salmon Arm, B.C.
Approximately 15 minutes after takeoff, the plane crashed into Mount McGillivray and killed everyone on board.
- Sign up for breaking news alerts from CTV News, right at your fingertips
- The information you need to know, sent directly to you: Download the CTV News App
In its report, the TSB said one of the errors the pilot made was not obtaining a Nav Canada weather briefing before the flight and instead relying on "sources on the Internet."
"Person-to-person weather briefings are provided by Nav Canada flight information centres free of charge," the report said.
"Regional specialists provide interpretive weather briefings, advisory services and flight plan filing by telephone."
The report went on to say that the cloud ceiling in the Exshaw area, where the crash occurred, were lower than what was reported further east.
"Local highway cameras close to the crash location showed obscured mountain tops in the region as well, which further suggests that mountain peaks near the crash site were well obscured by low level clouds," the TSB said, quoting an excerpt from an independent report from Enivronment and Climate Change Canada.
Weather radar image of the area of the occurrence at 2100 (Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada, Meteorological Service of Canada, Prediction Services Directorate, Meteorological Assessment July 28, 2023, Kananaskis Village, Alberta (08 November 2023), p. 18)
An analysis of the wreckage and impact marks on the rock face "were consistent with the aircraft being in a cruise altitude," the report said.
In addition to the inattention to weather, the TSB report said the pilot had several errors in decision making prior to the flight.
"Multiple factors, such as the desire to attend the social event in Salmon Arm, the diminishing available daylight and his familiarity with the (visual flight rules) route from (Springbank Airport), could have influenced the occurrence pilot's (decision making) and risk perception."
Since the pilot had flown the route before during the daytime, the TSB suggested "he likely considered that his previous experience and recent qualification justified his decision to conduct the approximately 1.7-hour flight."
However, as the flight was delayed due to inclement weather, the TSB said the pilot was monitoring the weather from an unknown data source and may have believed the weather was improving.
"The pilot likely had a lowered comprehension and perception of potential hazards along the route, resulting in an unanticipated encounter with instrument meteorological conditions, for which he was unprepared," the TSB said.
"The pilot's decision to depart was influenced by an incomplete understanding of the weather, familiarity with the route, time pressure, and a personal desire to complete the flight.
"When the pilot encountered clouds and reduced visibility, for unknown reasons, he decided to continue the flight toward the destination and, subsequently, the aircraft collided with terrain in the cruise attitude."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Feds move to end work stoppages at ports, order binding arbitration
Labour Minister Steven MacKinnon says he is intervening to end the work stoppages at ports in both British Columbia and Montreal.
Canada Post workers issue 72-hour strike notice
The Canadian Union of Postal Workers has given a 72-hour strike notice to Canada Post.
BREAKING 23 arrested after at least 100 shots fired in exchange of gunfire outside Toronto recording studio: police
Police say 23 people are in custody after at least 100 shots were fired in an exchange of gunfire outside a West Queen West recording studio on Monday night.
'He begged me': Brampton, Ont. woman loses more than $200K to romance scam
A Brampton woman says she is devastated after she lost more than $200,000 — her life's savings — to a romance scam.
Driver rams his car into crowd in China, killing 35. Police say he was upset about his divorce
A man who authorities said was upset over his divorce settlement rammed his car into a crowd of people exercising at a sports complex in southern China, killing 35 and severely injuring dozens of others, police said Tuesday.
Federal judge blocks Louisiana law that requires classrooms to display Ten Commandments
A new Louisiana requirement that the Ten Commandments be displayed in every public classroom by Jan. 1 was temporarily blocked Tuesday by a federal judge who said the law is 'unconstitutional on its face.'
Ottawa high school principal apologizes for song played during Remembrance Day assembly
The principal of an Ottawa high school is apologizing to students, parents and guardians after an Arabic-language song was played during the school's Remembrance Day service.
Judge extends the time to indict the driver accused of killing Johnny Gaudreau and his brother
The driver charged with killing NHL hockey player Johnny Gaudreau and his brother, Matthew, as they were cycling on a rural New Jersey road briefly appeared in court Tuesday, where the judge extended the window for prosecutors to seek an indictment.
Church of England head Justin Welby resigns over handling of sex abuse scandal
Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby, head of the Church of England and spiritual leader of the global Anglican Communion, resigned Tuesday after an investigation found that he failed to tell police about serial physical and sexual abuse by a volunteer at Christian summer camps as soon as he became aware of it.