Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 4 October 2011
Aircraft Type: Cessna 208B Grand Caravan
Owner/operator: Air Tindi
Registration Number: C-GATV
Location: Utsingi Point, Great Slave Lake, NT – ÿ Canada
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: Aircraft (Cessna 208B Grand Caravan)Aircraft (Cessna 208B Grand Caravan)
Investigating Agency: TSBTSB
Category: Accident
A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed near Utsingi Point on Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Two people were fatally injured and two were seriously injured. The pilot was flying at low altitude, reducing visibility, and the aircraft struck rising terrain under its control at cruise speed.A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan crashed near Utsingi Point on Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. Two people were fatally injured and two were seriously injured. The pilot was flying at low altitude, reducing visibility, and the aircraft struck rising terrain under its control at cruise speed.

Description

A Cessna 208B Grand Caravan sustained substantial damage in an accident near Utsingi Point on Great Slave Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada. The pilot and one passenger were fatally injured and the other two passengers were seriously injured. Air Tindi Flight 200 departed Yellowknife (YZF) at 11:03 on a VFR flight to Lutsel K’e (YSG) where it was scheduled to arrive at 11:45. Low clouds persisted for the entire flight. The pilot was flying at low level so he could maintain visual contact with the ground. Altitude during the flight varied between 129 feet and 600 feet above ground level (agl). The aircraft struck rising terrain under the pilot’s control at cruise speed, with a wings-level attitude. FINDINGS AS TO CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: 1. The aircraft was flown at low altitude into an area of low forward visibility during a day VFR flight, which prevented the pilot from seeing and avoiding terrain. 2. The concentrations of cannabinoids were sufficient to have caused impairment in pilot performance and decision-making on the accident flight.

Primary Cause

Low-altitude flight into an area of low forward visibility, resulting in insufficient situational awareness and avoidance of terrain.Low-altitude flight into an area of low forward visibility, resulting in insufficient situational awareness and avoidance of terrain.

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