Piper PA34 accident near Victoriaville, Ca, October 15, 2012
On October 15, 2012 at about 6:02 pm local time, a Piper PA34, registered CGNAS, was substantially damaged in an accident near Victoriaville. It was an instructional flight under non-U.S. private rules. 2 people were seriously injured.
The NTSB's probable cause their words, unchanged
The NTSB has not yet published a probable cause for this accident. Investigations usually take one to two years; this page updates when the final report is released.
Source: NTSB aviation accident database, copy made October 5, 2026. Docket and reports at the NTSB.
What the record shows
- Date
- October 15, 2012 · about 6:02 pm local time
- Place
- Victoriaville, Canada
- Type
- Accident
- Injuries
- 2 people were seriously injured.
- Weather
- not recorded
- Aircraft
- Piper PA34 200 · all PA34s on the register
- Registration
- CGNAS · no longer on the register · serial 34-7350133
- Damage
- Substantial damage
- Flight
- Instructional flight · non-U.S. private rules
The NTSB's narrative preliminary · quoted from the NTSB record
On October 15, 2012, at 1402 eastern daylight time, a Piper PA-34-200, Canadian registration C-GNAS, owned and operated by Nadeau Air Service, was substantially damaged when it impacted terrain near Victoriaville, Quebec, Canada, following a catastrophic engine failure and subsequent fire. The two pilots on board were seriously injured. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The foreign, non-scheduled local training flight departed Trois-Rivieres, Canada, at an unreported time. According to the Transportation Safety Board of Canada, an instructor and student were performing a missed approach segment of an RNAV approach at an altitude of 2,100 feet when the right engine suffered a catastrophic failure and caught fire. The co-pilot declared an emergency and reported their intention to land. Meanwhile, dense smoke spread inside the cabin. The airplane landed in a field two nautical miles east of Victoriaville Airport. The airplane struck the ground and came to rest inverted. A postaccident examination of right engine showed the number two cylinder had separated in flight causing the fire. The number two cylinder hold down studs and through bolts showed signs of fatigue failure. This investigation is under the jurisdiction of the government of Canada. Any further information regarding the investigation can be obtained from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada at: Transportation Safety Board of Canada Engineering Facility Building U-100 1901 Research Road Gloucester, Ontario, Canada K1A 1K8 Telephone: 613-990-0940 Facsimile: 613-998-5572 E-mail: airops@tsb-bst.gc.ca
The complete narrative as the NTSB published it. The NTSB's docket holds the report as a PDF and any photographs, statements and other documents from the investigation.
The factual record from the NTSB's investigation tables, in plain English
The aircraft
- Landing gear: fixed
- Engine 1: Lycoming LIO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Engine 2: Lycoming LIO-360-C1E6 (piston); 0 hours total
- Operator: Nadeau Air Service
The flight
- Departed from: CYRQ Trois-Rivieres
- Destination: CYRQ Trois-Rivieres
- Flight plan: not recorded
- A second pilot was aboard
Weather at the time
- Temperature: 0°F (-18°C), dew point 0°F (-18°C)
Injuries
| Fatal | Serious | Minor | None | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flight crew | 2 |
Documents from the investigation the NTSB's docket: the evidence folder behind the report
1 document, released by the NTSB on May 30, 2013. View them here, or download them; the NTSB redacts some personal details before release, and this site shows the NTSB's own titles rather than its file names.
| # | Document | What it is | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Memorandum of Investigative Authority, Canada | PDF, 1 page | View Download |
The same docket at the NTSB · documents without a copy here are fetched from the NTSB when you open them.
Everything on this page comes from the NTSB's public records. The narrative, probable cause and findings are the NTSB's own words; the coded tables behind the report are written out in plain English, with pilots' ages, home towns and medical details left out. The documents and photographs are the NTSB's docket, shown as the NTSB released them. This site's own text never names anyone involved. A preliminary report can change; the final report usually follows one to two years later, and the page is refreshed when it does.