The Transportation Safety Board of Canada has released more details about an accident near Shaunavon that killed two people.
On September 18, 2022, a Cessna 172 aircraft owned by Airborne Energy Solutions Inc was gathering electronic data on pipeline infrastructure for a client along a predetermined route that extended southeast of Shaunavon, then eastward to Estevan.
During the route, the aircraft struck a communications tower south-southwest of Shaunavon.
“A 4-foot section of the aircraft’s right wing was shorn off and discovered at the tower’s base. The fuselage then travelled approximately 240 m before impacting the ground,” the report read. “A post-impact fire ensued, which consumed most of the remaining fuselage.”
The report said there was no indication that the pilot’s performance was affected by medical factors, and they could not determine if the pilots had consulted the chart during flight planning or during the flight.
Overall the investigation could not determine why the collision occurred.
The report did note that a possible from the sun may have obstructed the pilots’ view of the communications tower, leading to the crash.
“In this occurrence, the aircraft collided with an obstacle depicted on the applicable VFR Navigation Chart,” the report concluded. “Pilots are reminded of the importance of consulting available navigational charts when flight planning and in flight so as to avoid colliding with obstacles identified on those charts.”
