A Training Flight Turns Tragic: The Fatal Spin of a Diamond DA20-C1 near Tofield, Alberta
On a clear, warm evening in August 2023, a routine training flight took a devastating turn, claiming the lives of a seasoned flight instructor and his aspiring student. A Diamond DA20-C1 aircraft, operated by the Cooking Lake Aviation Academy, departed from the Cooking Lake Aerodrome southeast of Edmonton. The flight’s purpose was to review fundamental flight maneuvers, including slow flight and stalls, and to introduce the student pilot to spins and spiral dives – crucial exercises in pilot training designed to equip pilots with the skills to recover from potentially dangerous situations.
The training commenced smoothly. The aircraft reached a designated practice area over Beaverhill Lake, where the instructor and student diligently practiced upper-air maneuvers for approximately 21 minutes. The initial spin maneuver was executed successfully, with the aircraft recovering as expected. However, the second spin, initiated at an altitude deemed safe for recovery, tragically failed. The aircraft, instead of recovering, entered a persistent spin and spiraled downwards, ultimately impacting the shallow waters of Beaverhill Lake. The devastating impact left the instructor dead at the scene. The student pilot, though initially recovered alive and transported to a hospital in Edmonton, succumbed to his injuries two days later. The TSB’s investigation concluded that the crash was not survivable.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) launched a comprehensive investigation into the accident, meticulously examining all available evidence, including wreckage analysis, flight path data, pilot qualifications, and aircraft maintenance records. The investigation revealed no mechanical malfunctions or pre-existing defects within the aircraft. Weather conditions were also ruled out as a contributing factor. The instructor, Alex Lanovaz, possessed a valid commercial pilot license, appropriate ratings, and a current medical certificate. He had accumulated considerable flight experience, both as a pilot and an instructor. The student pilot, while relatively early in his training, held a valid medical certificate and was progressing through the required flight training program.
A key finding of the investigation related to the aircraft’s emergency locator transmitter (ELT). Although the ELT was serviceable, a crucial connector wire had not been installed, preventing its automatic activation upon impact. This oversight significantly hampered search and rescue efforts, delaying the location of the downed aircraft by several hours. The absence of a readily available location signal tragically extended the time required for first responders to reach the crash site, a delay that potentially compromised the survival chances of the student pilot.
The TSB also explored the training practices related to spin recovery. Although spin recovery is no longer a mandatory component of the private pilot flight test, it remains an integral part of the training curriculum. The emphasis in training is on prompt recognition and recovery from a developing spin, rather than executing prolonged, multi-turn spins. The TSB highlighted the importance of initiating spin maneuvers at sufficient altitudes to allow for safe recovery, noting that aircraft can lose substantial altitude during a spin. The flight instructor’s ground lesson plans indicated an awareness of this requirement, specifying a minimum recovery altitude. However, no documented in-flight lesson plan existed.
The TSB’s final report, while unable to pinpoint a definitive cause for the failed spin recovery, pointed towards operator error as the likely contributing factor. The absence of detailed flight data recordings, coupled with the tragic loss of both occupants, prevented a precise determination of the actions taken by the instructor and student during the critical moments leading up to the crash. Nevertheless, the TSB concluded that, for reasons unknown, the instructor and student were unable to successfully recover from the spin, resulting in the fatal collision with the lake’s surface.
In the aftermath of the accident, the aircraft manufacturer, Diamond Aircraft Industries Inc., issued a mandatory service bulletin calling for inspections of ELT connector wiring to ensure proper functionality. The Cooking Lake Aviation Academy implemented revisions to its flight operations manual, formalizing minimum altitudes for upper-air work and spin training, and incorporating enhanced emergency response procedures. These measures, while reactive, aim to prevent similar tragedies in the future and underscore the importance of meticulous safety protocols in aviation training.
