Pilot decisions led to fatal crash in Yukon: TSB

Pilot decision-making was the cause of a fatal crash in Yukon involving an Alkan Air Ltd. flight last August.

A Transportation Safety Board report released Wednesday says the pilot's decision to continue flying at a low altitude in mountainous terrain and poor weather conditions led to the crash.

Both the pilot and passenger in the Cessna 208B Grand Caravan were killed when the pilot turned into a box canyon to avoid low cloud cover and the plane crashed into the rising terrain.

The plane was flying from the Rackla Gold Project to Mayo with the pilot, 24-year-old Shawn Kitchen, and geologist Julia Lane of Vancouver on board.

The board's report says the pilot had recently completed a flight along the same route in similar weather conditions and likely didn't consider an alternate route to avoid poor weather.

It says Alkan Air now requires a second crew member for a Grand Caravan captain who has less than 2,000 hours of experience, and pilots must serve as the second crew member for one season before becoming captain.