Pilot inexperience, poor maintenance played role in fatal B.C. plane crash: TSB

A screengrab form a video shows the aftermath of a plane crash in Tofino, B.C., on July 18, 2024. (Credit: Chris Bedford)

RICHMOND — Investigators say improper maintenance and the pilot’s lack of emergency procedural training may have contributed to a fatal plane crash at a Vancouver Island airport in 2024.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada says in its report that the crash happened at Tofino/Long Beach Airport on July 18 that year, when a Cessna suffered an engine-area fire upon takeoff then crashed as it tried to return to the airport.

The pilot and a passenger died in the crash landing, while a second passenger was able to escape the flaming wreck despite suffering serious injuries.

The investigation says an inspection for cracks and corrosion in the plane’s exhaust system was overdue at the time of the crash.

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An airworthiness directive for the type of plane involved in the crash says such damage “could result in exhaust system failure and a possible uncontrollable inflight fire.”

The investigation also found the pilot had no flight-simulator training on low-altitude engine failures and only had one documented inflight simulation of an engine fire, adding he may not have been familiar with fire suppression procedures on the Cessna.

“It is important that pilots have pre-departure plans for handling emergencies on takeoff,” the report concludes. “These plans should consider factors such as pilot experience, wind conditions, and all available landing options.

“Pilots must be sufficiently trained in emergency procedures so that these procedures can be performed successfully in an emergency, which is a high-workload situation.”

The agency also stressed that certain possible failures in an exhaust system that could result in engine fires should be regularly inspected and maintained, and aircraft owners and lessees are responsible for such maintenance.

The flight by the U.S.-based pilot had been bound for Portland, Ore.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 12, 2026.