Weather and pilot decisions led to fatal plane crash in Kananaskis, Alberta in 2023: report

KANANASKIS COUNTRY – A fatal plane crash in Kananaskis that killed six people last summer was likely due to poor weather conditions and the pilot’s decision to continue flying despite limited visibility, an investigative report found.

According to the Transportation Safety Board (TSB), weather near the crash site on Mount McGillivray, south of the town of Lac Des Arcs, indicated that clouds were “probably low.”

“When the pilot encountered clouds and reduced visibility for unknown reasons, he decided to continue the flight toward the destination and the aircraft subsequently collided with terrain while in cruise,” the safety committee report said.

It goes on to note that the pilot’s decision to undertake the flight was “influenced by an incomplete understanding of the weather, familiarity with the route, time constraints and a personal desire to complete the flight.”

The pilot departed Springbank Airport shortly before 9 p.m. on July 28, 2023 in a private single-engine Piper PA-32R with five passengers on board en route to Salmon Arm, B.C., for a church event.

The families of those on board lost contact around 9:30 p.m. and the group was reported to the RCMP as overdue around 1 a.m. on July 29, triggering a search.

“Approximately 15 minutes into the flight, the aircraft collided with a mountain and was destroyed, fatally injuring all occupants,” the safety committee report said.

A post-impact fire was also reported.

The Joint Rescue Coordination Center assigned the Royal Canadian Armed Forces (RCAF) CC-130H Hercules from the 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron to conduct the search. The plane’s distress transmitter guided the team to the crash site on the eastern slope of Mount McGillivray.

Kananaskis Mountain Rescue, Alpine Helicopters, Alberta Health Services EMS and an RCAF CH-149 Cormorant from the 442 Transport and Rescue Squadron were also dispatched to assist.

The TSB report noted that the pilot’s training and practice hours may also have played a role in the crash.

“If pilots do not regularly practice their instrument flight skills, there is a risk that they will be unable to maintain control of the aircraft and navigate accurately if they accidentally encounter weather conditions that require reference to their instruments “, it says.

“Furthermore, if pilots do not undertake mountain flight training, there is a risk that they will not be adequately prepared for the conditions they will encounter when flying over mountainous terrain.”

All six occupants of the plane were pronounced dead at the scene and the plane was destroyed. The TSB’s investigation examined the wreck site, interviewed witnesses and sent parts of the aircraft to its technical laboratory in Ottawa for analysis.

“Whatever data we have available, we will use it to reconstruct what happened,” said Liam MacDonald, media relations coordinator for the Federal Safety Board outlook after the crash.

All six occupants of the plane were identified in the following weeks. brothers Braydon and Benjamin Ryan as well as Kirk Mealey, Adam Laser, Jacob Brown and Luke MacKelvie. All were Calgary residents and involved in the church community through Harvest Hills Alliance Church and RockPointe Church.

The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position includes the Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country.