| Accident summary | |
|---|---|
| Date | February 11, 1978 |
| Type | Failure of thrusters, air traffic control error |
| Site | Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada |
| Passengers | 44 |
| Crew | 5 |
| Fatalities | 42 |
| Survivors | 7 |
| Aircraft type | Boeing 737-200 |
| Operator | Pacific Western Airlines |
| Tail number | C-FPWC |
| Flight origin | Edmonton, Alberta, Canada via Calgary, Alberta, and Cranbook, British Columbia, Canada |
| Destination | Castelgar, British Columbia, Canada |
On 11 February 1978, Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, crashed at Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, near Cranbook, British Columbia, Canada, killing 42 of the 49 people on board.[1]
The aircraft, on a scheduled flight from Edmonton Alberta, via Calgary, Alberta, and Cranbrook to Castlegar Airport at Castlegar, British Columbia, crashed after its thrust reversers did not fully stow following a rejected landing that had been executed in order to avoid a snowplow. Calgary air traffic control was considerably in error in its calculation of the Cranbrook arrival time and the flight crew did not report while passing a beacon on final approach.[2][3]
The investigation was conducted by the Aviation Safety Investigation Division of Transport Canada and audited by the Aircraft Accident Review Board.[4]
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