Pilot reported equipment failure before fatal crash in B.C., investigation finds

RICHMOND, B.C. — The pilot of a small, privately owned plane reported an equipment failure before it crashed on Gabriola Island, killing all three people on board.

A report published Monday by the Transportation Safety Board says the pilot was communicating with a controller at Victoria’s airport when he said he “just had a fail.”

The twin-engine Piper Aerostar went down on Dec. 10, 2019, at the end of a two-day journey from Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, to Nanaimo.

RELATED:

• Multiple fatalities reported in Gabriola Island plane crash

• ‘Equipment issue’ blamed in plane crash that killed 3 on Gabriola Island

• Investigators struggle to identify victims, continue to search site of plane crash on Gabriola Island

• Multiple fatalities after plane crashes on Gabriola Island off B.C. coast

The board says its investigation was unable to determine who was flying the plane, since both people seated in the front held valid pilot licenses.

But it notes the lack of external visual cues in overcast skies, loss of instruments and the onset of acute stress are all factors that increase the risk of spatial disorientation among pilots.

The report says the pilot acknowledged instructions from the controller and momentarily lined up with a runway landing system, but the aircraft continued turning, climbing and then losing altitude.

The plane was completely torn apart due to the impact of the crash, making the investigation and identification of the victims a challenge.