Pilot's decision to fly to B.C. camp in poor weather led to crash that killed 4, investigation finds

A decision to continue flying in poor weather to a remote B.C.fishing lodge in July 2019 led to a floatplane crash that killed four people and injured five others, according to the Transportation Safety Board.

The TSB saidthe plane left Vancouver airport's water aerodrome on July 26, 2019, for Calvert Island on B.C.'s central coast, despite poor weather forecasts for the area.

The investigation report saidthe pilot continued flying in bad weather and reduced visibility. Hewas not able to determine the Cessna 208 Caravan's proximity to rising terrain, crashing into a hillside onAddenbrokeIsland, about 17 kilometres from the fishing lodge.

The charter plane was operated by Seair Seaplanes.

The TSB saidthe floatplane was equipped with flight data monitoring equipment but was not required by regulation to establish a flight data monitoring program.

The board said air operators with flight data monitoring equipment that do not actively monitor their flight operations may drift toward unsafe practices that increase the risk to flight crew and passengers.

The pilot died in the crash and the three male passengers who were killed were from South Carolina, Washington state and Germany.

The TSB said four passengers were seriously injured and one received minor injuries.