At 16:35 EST, the pilot notified the Québec flight service station (FSS) that he was 5 NM west of the Gaspé airport and confirmed that he was going to the en route frequency. That was the last message received from the aircraft. The plane was reported missing after its flight plan expired. Almost 11 months later, on December 8, 2002, an airliner flying high over the area of L’Ascension-de-Patapédia, N.B., picked up a signal from an emergency locator transmitter (ELT). The search and rescue (SAR) team dispatched to the site identified the missing aircraft. The two occupants were fatally injured; the aircraft was destroyed.

Findings as to causes and contributing factors

1. The pilot’s lack of experience, combined with poor weather conditions, resulted in spatial disorientation that led to a loss of control.

Other findings

1. The ELT did not transmit an emergency signal, probably because debris struck the reset button, interrupting transmission. This could have had serious consequences had there been any survivors.
    
2. Having a global positioning system (GPS) on board possibly affected the pilot’s decision to take off even though poor VFR conditions were forecast along the route.