Incident Overview
Description
The aircraft departed the FOX-Main DEW Line station at Hall Beach, Canada at approximately 17:06 hours on a flight calling at various DEW Line sites and intending to return to Fox. At 21:57 hours, on the last flight, the captain called Fox tower and gave the estimated time of arrival as 22:07 hours. In his statement the captain said that he passed over the site at Fox and made a descending turn to the left to join the circuit on the downwind leg for runway 36. Shortly after levelling off on the downwind leg, the aircraft lost altitude (700 to 800 feet) and struck the ground in what appeared to have been an almost straight and level attitude. The pilot-in-command suffered minor injuries. The airplane sustained substantial damage to the right hand wing and fuselage. The no. 1 prop had detached, cutting a hole in the left hand side of the fuselage. Probable Cause: “While trying to fly visually at night without adequate reference to instruments, the pilot allowed the aircraft to lose altitude while on the downwind leg of the circuit; the aircraft struck the ground with wheels down in a slightly nose down attitude.”
Primary Cause
Loss of altitude during a downwind leg maneuver, resulting in a ground impact.Loss of altitude during a downwind leg maneuver, resulting in a ground impact.Share on:
