Commission of Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Crash of a Lockheed L188 Aircraft, Registration CF-PAB, in the Vicinity of Rea Point in the Northwest Territories, on the 30th Day of October, 1974 (Canada) : The Commission of Inquiry into the Circumstances Surrounding the Crash of a Lockheed L188 Aircraft, Registration CF-PAB, in the Vicinity of Rea Point in the Northwest Territories, on the 30th day of October, 1974 was established under Order in Council P.C. 2726, 20 November 1975, under Part I of the Inquiries Act (R.S.C. 1970, c.I-13) and on the recommendation of the Minister of Justice. The Commission was mandated to inquire into and report upon the circumstances surrounding the crash of a Lockheed L-188 aircraft, registration CF-PAB, in the vicinity of Rea Point, in the Northwest Territories, on the 30 October 1974, and the cause or causes of the crash. The commissioner was William Alexander Stevenson.
On 29 October 1974, a Lockheed L-188 Electra aircraft (Registration No. CF-PAB), owned and operated by Panarctic Oils Ltd., was on a flight from Calgary (via Edmonton) to Rea Point on Melville Island in the Northwest Territories. Flight 416, as it was known, crashed during an instrument approach to Rea Point at approximately 12:15 a.m., Mountain Standard Time, on 30 October. All 30 passengers, and two of the four crew members on board died in the accident.
According to the Aircraft Accident Report of Transport Canada, the airplane descended gradually on the approach to Rea Point to about 100 feet below the authorized minimum descent altitude. Then, at about three miles from the runway, it descended rapidly and struck the sea about two and one half miles short of its goal.
The aircraft, heavily damaged by the impact, was further damaged by fire. The cockpit broke away from the fuselage and several of the larger portions of the wreck went into the water.
Due to the loss of life, a coroner's inquest was convened at Yellowknife. On 1 November 1975, it recommended that a public inquiry be held into events immediately before and after the accident for the following reason: "As noted without the testimony of the two survivors and other key witnesses to clarify existing discrepancies we cannot come to a firm and comprehensive verdict."
As early as 3 December 1974, Howard Johnston, Member of Parliament for Okanagan-Kooteney, had called for a public inquiry into the air crash but the government refused. Once it was learned that important witnesses had not testified at the coroner's inquest, Johnston and other Members of Parliament were determined about the need for a royal commission. Finally, on 7 November, the federal Minister of Justice, Ron Basford, announced in the House of Commons that, due to the recommendations of the coroner's jury, a royal commission would be appointed after all. On 20 November 1975, the inquiry into the accident was formally established. (See RG 33/106, vol. 1, Panarctic Inquiry, exhibit no. 3, Inquisition of Coroner's Jury with recommendations, 1 November 1975, and exhibit no. 4, Aviation Safety Investigation Division, Transport Canada, Aircraft Accident Report, Lockheed L-188, CF-PAB, Rea Point, Melville, Is., N.W.T., 30 October 1974; and House of Commons, Debates, 3 December 1974, p. 1923; 16 June 1975, p. 6772; 14 July 1975, pp. 7560-7561; 27 October 1975, p. 8562; 3 November 1975, p. 8775 and 7 November 1975, p. 8954).
Hearings of the commission were held in Yellowknife from 3 February to 20 February 1976, and in Edmonton from 5 April to 9 April 1976. The commission filed 115 exhibits. RG33-106 General Inventory
