Map showing the occurrence aircraft’s flight path, the power line and the accident site (Source: Google Earth, with TSB annotations)

Transportation Safety Board of Canada on March 3 released its investigation report (A20W0072) into the September 26, 2020, collision with a power line of a privately registered Harmon Rocket II aircraft at the Hugget/Goodwood Field Aerodrome in Alberta. The TSB conducted a limited-scope, fact-gathering investigation into this occurrence which claimed the lives of the two occupants.

In its report, TSB explains the Harmon Rocket II amateur-built aircraft, at about 13:17 pm, departed from Rocky Mountain House Aerodrome (CYRM), Alberta, for a flight to Hugget/Goodwood Field Aerodrome (CGF5), where the aircraft arrived at 13:37 and proceeded to do two circuits around the field given that the pilot had never been to this location.

After the 2nd circuit, TSB explains the aircraft turned left, descended to approximately 25 feet above ground level (AGL) and flew over the racetrack straightaway from north to south. Based on videos recorded by observers on the ground, TSB notes, at the south end of the straightaway, the aircraft initiated a climb and struck the upper of two wires. The aircraft pitched up steeply, according to the TSB, climbed to approximately 700 feet while rolling right to an almost inverted attitude and changing heading to the west. When the aircraft began to descend, TSB explains it rolled left to a wings-level attitude, and continued to descend until it struck the ground, in a 40° nose-down attitude.

There was a post-impact fire, which consumed most of the aircraft, with the two occupants fatally injured. TSB notes no emergency locator transmitter (ELT) signal was detected, and the ELT was destroyed in the fire.

For detailed TSB conclusions on this occurrence, visit the investigation page.