An investigation of the deadly First Air jetliner crash in Nunavut last August shows the pilots had attempted to land the aircraft just seconds before it slammed into a hill near the Resolute Bay airport.
An interim report released Thursday by the Transportation Safety Board says no mechanical problems were detected in the Boeing 737 during an initial examination of the wreckage.
The report says the weather was bad at the time of the Aug. 20, 2011 crash and pilots had initiated a "go-around" two seconds before the plane hit into the hill.
Eight passengers and all four crew members were killed. Three people survived with serious injuries.
The TSB report doesn't say what prompted the pilots to initiate a go-around. It can happen for several reasons, including poor weather conditions and a missed runway approach.
The TSB classified the First Air Flight 6560 crash as a "controlled flight into terrain" accident, meaning the crew unintentionally flew into land.
One of the survivors, a seven-year-old girl, told RCMP the plane was flying normally before it crashed and burst into flames. The girl lost her six-year-old sister in the disaster.
The jet from Yellowknife was on a routine trip for a local hotel, bringing food and passengers north.
According to the TSB report, the plane's engines and the airport's ground-based equipment were working properly. The plane's landing gear was down and locked at the time of the crash.
There was a 90-metre cloud ceiling and drizzling rain. Visibility was less than eight kilometers due to fog.
Because of those conditions, the flight crew had no choice but to land the plane using its navigational instruments, the report says.
Soldiers preparing for a mock plane crash as part of a military exercise rushed to the site of the accident to help.
The TSB report did not say when the final investigation into the crash will be complete.
With files from The Canadian Press
