The pilots of a British Aerospace Jetstream 3212 likely were preoccupied with an abnormal landing gear indication immediately after takeoff from Fort Smith Airport in Northwest Territories, Canada, according to accident investigators, and failed to notice that the airplane was losing altitude. The Jetstream struck trees and terrain, killing the two pilots and four of their five passengers.
The remaining passenger, who had been ejected from the airplane during the accident, received minor injuries. The airplane was destroyed by the crash and the post-impact fire.
In its final report on the Jan. 23, 2024, accident, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) cited four causes and contributing factors, including the flight crew’s likely preoccupation with the abnormal indication for the main landing gear and the airspeed, which investigators believed prevented the pilots from recognizing that the airplane was dangerously close to the ground.
The morning of…
