Ice could have built up on engine of plane that crashed near Cornwall, Ont. in December: TSB

Bainsville plane crash investigation report CTV’s Jeremie Charron shares details of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s report on the Bainsville plane that crashed.

There is a possibility that ice buildup may have caused a small plane to crash near Cornwall, Ont. last December that seriously injured two people.

The plane, a Cessna 150G, crashed into the centre median of Highway 401 near Bainsville, Ont., east of Cornwall, at just after 8 p.m. Dec. 5, 2022. According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB), the engine lost power at 8:01 p.m. and while attempting to land, the plane hit a set of four power lines before coming to rest in the grass in between the two highway lanes.

Plane crash site A closeup of the crash site near Bainsville, Ont. Dec. 5, 2022. (TSB/handout)

In a report published Tuesday, the TSB said it examined the engine and found no signs of catastrophic engine failure or mechanical failure among any components. The carburetors and magnetos were found to be serviceable, but it was unclear, due to the extent of the damage, whether the carburetor heat was turned on, or if the system was functioning at the time.

While the investigation could not determine whether there was ice buildup on the carburetor, the TSB said there was a potential for serious carburetor icing with descent power at the time of the crash.

The air temperature measured at the Montreal airport—about 30 nautical miles northeast of the crash site—was around 3 C at the time of the crash with a dew point around -5 C.

Environment Canada data from the weather station at St. Anicet, Que., directly across the St. Lawrence River from Bainsville, Ont., showed an air temperature of 4.8 C at 8 p.m. and a dew point of -8 C.

The pilot had a licence and had more than 416 total flight hours in various aircraft at the time of the crash on Dec. 5, 2022, but did not meet Canadian Aviation Regulations recency requirements to carry a passenger at night in the type of aircraft he was flying, the TSB said. He met all other recency requirements.

A 26-year-old man was taken to hospital by air ambulance in life-threatening condition as a result of the crash. The other occupant of the plane, a 39-year-old man, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

The passenger owned the plane but did not possess a pilot's licence or permit. He had flown with the pilot on several occasions.