The Summit Air Dornier C-FYEV (a Dornier 228-202 serial number 8133) was a charter flight from Resolute Bay to Cambridge Bay, Nunavut, under instrument flight rules.

Summit Air Dornier C-FYEV flight path

While on final approach to Runway 31 True, the aircraft collided with the ground approximately 1.5 nautical miles from the threshold at 0143 mountain standard time. Of the 2 pilots and 12 passengers on board, 2 persons received serious injuries.

The Summit Air Dornier C-FYEV was substantially damaged.

The emergency locator transmitter activated, and the crew notified the Cambridge Bay Airport radio operator of the accident via the aircraft radio. Local ground search efforts found the aircraft within 30 minutes, and all occupants were removed from the site within two hours.

• An abbreviated visual approach was conducted at night in instrument meteorological conditions, which resulted in the crew’s inability to obtain sufficient visual reference to judge their height above the ground.
• The flight crew did not monitor pressure altimeter readings or reference the minimum altitude requirements in relation to aircraft position on the approach, resulting in controlled flight into terrain.
• The pilots had not received training and performance checks for the installed global positioning system (GPS) equipment, and were not fully competent in its use. The attempts at adjusting the settings likely distracted the pilots from maintaining the required track and ground clearance during the final approach