Coral Harbour – Churchill – Thompson

On June 1, 1994 at 01:00 AM, Coral Harbour – Churchill – Thompson experienced a crash involving Swearingen SA26T Merlin II, operated by Keewatin Air, with the event recorded near Thompson Manitoba.

The flight was categorized as ambulance and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

3 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 66.7%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 1, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The twin-engine turboprop aircraft had just completed a medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) flight from Coral Harbour, Northwest Territories (NWT), to Churchill, Manitoba. At 2257 central daylight saving time (CDT), the aircraft departed Churchill for a night, instrument flight rules (IFR) flight to return to the aircraft's base of operations at Thompson, Manitoba. The en route portion of the return leg was conducted at an altitude of 18,000 feet above sea level (asl). Approximately one hour after take-off, the aircraft commenced an approach to the Thompson Airport. The crew remained in radio contact with air traffic control (ATC) personnel until approximately 2359 CDT. Just after midnight (0001 CDT), the Hotel non-directional beacon (NDB), which is located 3.4 miles northeast of the Thompson Airport, stopped transmitting. Ninety minutes later, the search and rescue satellite system (SARSAT) picked up an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal to the northeast of the airport. Thompson Airport staff, who had been dispatched to the site of the failed navigation beacon, found the wreckage of the aircraft in and around the NDB transmitter compound. Emergency responses were initiated by various airport and local authorities.

Aircraft reference details include registration C-FFYC, MSN T26-36, year of manufacture 1969.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 55.7433°, -97.8635°.