Swearingen SA26T Merlin II crash, Jun 1, 1994 (2 killed)
Swearingen SA26T Merlin II accident on June 1, 1994 near Thompson, Manitoba, Canada with 2 fatalities. Cause: The crew lost altitude awareness and...
- Date: June 1, 1994
- Aircraft: Swearingen SA26T Merlin II
- Location: Thompson, Manitoba, Canada
- Fatalities: 2
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: The crew lost altitude awareness and descended below a mandatory level-off altitude. Contributing factors were the crew's deviation from the published approach, ineffective in-flight monitoring, rapidly developing localized fog and probably pilot fatigue.
A Swearingen Merlin IIA air ambulance returning from a medevac flight to Thompson, Manitoba, descended below a mandatory level-off altitude during a night localizer back course approach. Fog had developed rapidly, and the aircraft struck the navigation beacon compound near the airport. Both crew members were killed and the flight nurse was seriously injured.