Alberta

The aircraft was landing on runway 30 at Wetaskiwin Airport following an IFR mail flight from Fort Vermilion. During the landing, the crew lost sight of the runway in a thin layer of dense fog that covered the airport. They aborted the landing, and the aircraft settled into a field about ½ mile northwest of the airport. Both pilots sustained serious injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The flight crew used a cell phone to call for help. The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) activated during impact.

The pilot, sole on board, was engaged in a fire fighting mission and was supposed to leave Rainbow Lake for High Level. During the takeoff roll, at a speed of 90 knots, one of the engine lost power. The pilot rejected takeoff and released the load of fire retardant. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran, rolled for about 1,200 feet then struck a drainage ditch and came to rest. The pilot was seriously injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crew twin engine aircraft was performing an ambulance flight from Grande Prairie to his base in Fort Vermilion with one patient, one doctor, one accompanist and two pilots on board. On final approach, the aircraft was too high and eventually landed hard. Upon touchdown, the right main gear collapsed and the aircraft veered off runway to the right and and came to rest. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The Alta Flights Cessna 414A (registration C-GVZE, serial number 414A0219) departed Cranbrook, British Columbia, at approximately 1910 mountain daylight time (MDT) on a visual flight rules cargo flight to Calgary, Alberta. The aircraft disappeared from the Calgary area radar at 1936 MDT, at an indicated altitude of 9000 feet above sea level (asl) in the Highwood Range mountains, approximately 49 nautical miles southwest of Calgary. The aircraft wreckage was found on a mountain ridge at 8900 feet asl some 40 hours later. The flight was in controlled descent to Calgary when the impact occurred. There was a total break-up of the aircraft, and the pilot, the lone occupant, was fatally injured. There was a brief fireball at the time of impact.

Following an uneventful flight from Fort Saint John, the crew started a night approach to Grande Prairie Airport. The aircraft landed slightly to the left of the runway centerline. After touchdown on a snow covered runway (about two inches of snow), the left wing struck a windrow of snow. Out of control, the aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in snow. All five occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The pilot, sole on board, departed Loon River Airport on a fire fighting mission to La Biche Lake under callsign Tanker 3. While returning to Grand Prairie Airport, on final approach to runway 25, both engines failed almost simultaneously. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed 3 km short of runway. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The crew of C-GKBN, a Beechcraft 200 Super King Air with 5 passengers, made a straight-in approach, with approach flap settings, to a snow-covered and icy runway at Hamburg, AB, Canada. Upon touchdown in 2 inches of snow, directional control was lost. The aircraft turned sideways on the strip, struck a snow windrow, which then pulled the aircraft off the strip into a stand of trees. The First Officer had made the landing. The aircraft had picked up about 1/8 inch of ICA on the approach. Approach flap had been used for the landing instead of landing flap. The aircraft had landed with a five knot tail wind. The landing touchdown was reported to be very firm. There were no injuries but the aircraft was substantially damaged. Company representatives examining the runway surface after the accident discovered a rut running diagonally across the runway, which was apparently present prior the landing and may have contributed to the loss of directional control of the aircraft.

At 1700 MST, Alberta Citylink flight 933, C-FBIE, a British Aerospace Jetstream 31, serial number 815, took off from Calgary, on a scheduled flight to Lloydminster, Alberta. The aircraft carried a two-pilot crew, 13 passengers, and 250 pounds of freight and baggage. A non-precision automatic direction finder (ADF) approach was conducted to runway 25. The first officer was flying the approach, and when the runway environment became visual, the captain took control, requested 35 degrees of flap, and commenced the final descent to the runway. On touchdown, the left main landing gear collapsed and both propellers struck the runway surface. The aircraft slid along the runway on the belly pod for about 1 800 feet, and when the left wing contacted snow on the edge of the runway, the aircraft turned about 160 degrees. The passengers and crew evacuated through the over-wing exit. There was no fire and no injuries. The Board determined that an unstabilized approach resulted in a heavy landing because the captain changed the configuration of the aircraft, and the high rate of descent was not arrested before contact was made with the runway surface. Contributing to the high rate of descent were the reduction of engine power to flight idle, airframe ice, and the time available for the final descent. Contributing to the damage on landing was the left-to-right movement of the aircraft.

The Airco Aircraft Charters Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain, serial number 31-8152096, had been chartered by Northern Sky Aviation to complete a daily passenger flight from the Edmonton City Centre Airport to High Level, Rainbow Lake, Edmonton, and Calgary, Alberta. The flight from Edmonton to High Level and Rainbow Lake was uneventful. Following a routine landing and turn around, the aircraft departed Rainbow Lake in darkness, at 1935 mountain standard time (MST), on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight to Edmonton. Shortly after take-off from runway 27, the aircraft collided with trees and terrain approximately 3 000 feet west of the departure end of the runway. The nine occupants sustained minor injuries and the aircraft was substantially damaged. Immediately following the evacuation of the aircraft, a Rainbow Lake passenger initiated the local emergency response by cell phone. Volunteer ground rescue personnel organized a snowmobile search, and a helicopter was dispatched from the airport to conduct an aerial search. The ground search was hampered by darkness, dense forest, cold temperatures, and deep snow. The helicopter pilot located the aircraft wreckage on his first pass over the departure corridor and, following his immediate return to the airport, he lead the ground rescuers to the accident site. Rescuers reached the accident site approximately one and one-half hours after the occurrence and assisted all of the survivors to the Rainbow Lake nursing station.

On final approach to Fort Chipewayn Airport, the twin engine aircraft was unstable and rolling left and right. Upon landing, the right propeller struck the runway surface. The right engine partially torn off and the right wing was severely bent. The aircraft came to a halt few dozen metres further. All 14 occupants escaped uninjured.