TSB report on fatal 2023 B.C. plane crash points to low speed as factor

Investigators with Canada’s Transportation Safety Board say it appears a small plane was not going fast enough when it rolled and crashed into trees near the airport in Chilliwack, B.C., killing all three people onboard.

A report into the October 2023 crash that killed a flight instructor and two students says investigators could not determine the specific exercise that was being conducted when the Piper PA-34-200 Seneca plane approached the airport, rolled to the right and crash into trees behind a casino.

The report says dashcam video from a passing vehicle and the post-accident wreckage examination is consistent with the aircraft entering a “minimum control speed” roll before the crash.

It says rolls happen when there is uneven power between a plane’s two engines and the aircraft’s speed falls below the minimum required.

The report says the investigation did not discover any issues with the flight controls that would have led to the loss of control, or anything mechanical that would have prevented either engine from producing power.

The board’s safety message says instructors teaching multi-engine training should make sure they’re at a safe altitude and airspeed, given the significant loss of height that can occur in the event of a roll.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 25, 2025