Investigation Summary
The flight was a charter transporting members of the 101st Airborne Division home for Christmas. After a refueling stop in Gander, the aircraft attempted takeoff from Runway 22 in freezing precipitation. The aircraft struggled to climb, crossed the Trans-Canada Highway at a very low altitude, and crashed into a wooded area less than a mile from the runway. The majority of the CASB board concluded that ice contamination on the wings, combined with an underestimated takeoff weight, led to a stall. However, a minority report suggested an onboard explosion or fire occurred before impact. A complicating factor in the climb analysis was the suspected loss of thrust in the #4 engine, which investigators debated was either a cause of the poor performance or a result of tree ingestion during the initial impact sequence.
Final Conclusions
The official CASB report cited the probable cause as an unexpected increase in drag and reduction in lift due to ice contamination on the wings' leading edges and upper surfaces. Contributing factors included the crew's failure to de-ice the aircraft and inaccurate weight and balance calculations. A dissenting opinion by four board members argued that evidence pointed to an in-flight fire or explosion of unknown origin. Due to the lack of consensus, the 1989 Estey Commission was appointed to review the evidence; it concluded that the cause of the crash could not be established beyond a reasonable doubt, effectively leaving the official cause legally undetermined.
Video Analysis
Arrow Air Flight 1285R: The 1985 Gander DC-8 Crash — This video examines the crash of a Douglas DC-8 in Gander, Newfoundland, and the controversy surrounding the official findings of atmospheric icing versus an onboard explosion.
If playback is blocked, the owner has disabled embedding — use the link above.
Airframe & Maintenance
Crew Experience
Captain
Captain John Griffin has been an Arrow Air pilot for 4 years. He's also a flight instructor for the airline.
First Officer
First Officer John Connelly will be at the controls when flight 1285 leaves Gander.
Systems & Failure Modes
Wing Anti-Ice
System designed to prevent ice buildup; however, it is typically not used during the takeoff roll itself and cannot remove ice already present on the ground.
Flight Data Recorder (FDR)
The FDR was an older foil-type model which provided limited data, complicating the investigation into the aircraft's final moments.
Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR)
The CVR was found to be non-functional during the flight due to a defective microphone, leaving investigators with no audio record of crew coordination or cockpit sounds during the emergency.
Interesting Facts
- 01This remains the deadliest aviation accident on Canadian soil.
- 02The passengers were members of the 101st Airborne Division returning from a peacekeeping mission in the Sinai Peninsula.
- 03The CASB investigation was so polarized it led to the dissolution of the board and the creation of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB).
- 04The aircraft was estimated to be approximately 14,000 pounds heavier than the crew's calculations.
- 05Witnesses reported seeing a glow or fire emanating from the aircraft before it struck the ground.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Establishment of the TSB
Following the internal collapse of the CASB due to the Arrow Air investigation, the Canadian government formed the independent Transportation Safety Board of Canada to ensure more objective investigations.
De-icing Regulations
The accident reinforced global 'Clean Wing' regulations, emphasizing that pilots must ensure all critical surfaces are free of frost and ice before takeoff.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Split Canadian Aviation Safety Board
The CASB was unable to reach a unanimous conclusion. The majority (five members) attributed the crash to ice contamination on the wings causing loss of lift after takeoff. A four-member dissenting report concluded the evidence better supported an in-flight fire or explosion prior to impact, citing witness statements and post-impact fire patterns. The split findings and subsequent government reviews (including the Estey commission) contributed to the CASB being replaced by the Transportation Safety Board of Canada in 1990.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.