De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

The float-equipped, turbine-engine, DHC-3 Otter departed from Tasu, British Columbia, at about 1940 Pacific daylight saving time (PDT), with the pilot and two passengers on board, on a charter, visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Alliford Bay, 26 nautical miles to the north. When the aircraft did not arrive at destination, the operator initiated a search. The aircraft wreckage was located the following day, 18 nautical miles (nm) south of Alliford Bay, in rugged terrain at an elevation of 1,700 feet above sea level (asl). The aircraft was destroyed, and there were no survivors.

The float-equipped DHC-3 (Otter), carrying the pilot and six passengers, departed the company's water base at Cochenour, Ontario, on a charter flight to Sandy Beach Lodge, located on Trout Lake approximately 25 miles to the east. The pilot levelled the aircraft and configured it for cruise flight at approximately 2,500 feet above sea level (asl). Shortly after level-off, the pilot heard a popping sound and noted a slight loss of engine power, and wisps of whitish-grey smoke entered the cabin. The aircraft instruments indicated normal engine operation, and the fire warning system did not activate. The pilot suspected that the engine had suffered a cylinder failure and turned to return to Cochenour. A passenger seated in the right front crew seat reported flames near the floor at the front, right corner of the cockpit. The pilot radioed the Thunder Bay Flight Service Station to advise of the emergency, had the passenger vacate the crew seat, and attempted to suppress the fire with a hand-held extinguisher. Thick, black smoke billowed into the cabin, restricting visibility and causing respiratory distress for all of the occupants. The pilot opened the left crew door in order to see ahead and landed the aircraft, still on fire, on McNeely Bay, the first available landing site. The aircraft landed hard but remained upright on the floats. The occupants left by the main door, with their life jackets, and were picked up almost immediately by nearby boats. The aircraft was consumed by fire within minutes after landing. The pilot suffered second degree burns to his face and right forearm, and the passenger in the right crew seat suffered burns to his right leg. The remaining five passengers escaped serious injury.

The single-engine, float-equipped DHC-3 Otter departed Ketchikan, Alaska, at 0905 Pacific daylight time (PDT) on 09 May 1996 with a pilot and co-pilot on board. They were on a visual flight rules (VFR) ferry flight to Dawson Creek, British Columbia, en route to Buffalo Narrows, Saskatchewan. After a refuelling stop and weather briefing at Prince Rupert, British Columbia, the aircraft departed eastbound along the published Telkwa Pass VFR route. When the aircraft did not arrive at Dawson Creek, it was reported overdue. The next day, an extensive search for the missing Otter was commenced and wreckage was located by search and rescue aircraft at 1930 PDT, 30 miles east of Terrace, in the Telkwa Pass. The aircraft had struck mountainous terrain and was destroyed. Both occupants were fatally injured.

The single-engine turbine Otter on amphibious floats departed Triumph Bay, British Columbia, at 1634 Pacific daylight saving time (PDT) with one pilot and nine passengers on board for a visual flight rules (VFR) flight to Campbell River. At 19:01:59 the pilot called Campbell River Flight Service Station (FSS) and reported that he was seven nautical miles (nm) northwest of the airport, inbound for Campbell River. Radar data from Comox indicate that, when this call was made, the aircraft was actually 11 nm northwest of Campbell River, just south of the Narrows (see map, Appendix A). At 19:02:40, the pilot was given the 1900 PDT Campbell River weather observation, which was as follows: ceiling 300 feet overcast and visibility two miles in light rain and fog. The pilot requested a special VFR (SVFR) clearance to enter the Campbell River control zone. Clearance for SVFR was delayed by Comox air traffic control (ATC) until an instrument flight rules (IFR) aircraft on approach to Campbell River had landed. At 19:03:54, the IFR aircraft reported breaking clouds at 900 feet above sea level (asl), which would be approximately 550 feet above ground level, on the ILS approach to runway 11 at Campbell River (airport elevation is 346 feet). This information was acknowledged by the turbine Otter pilot. The IFR aircraft landed at 1904, and the turbine Otter was issued an SVFR clearance at 19:04:45. Radar data indicate that, at that time, the aircraft was about one mile northwest of Tyee Spit, a frequently used, alternate landing site (water) for company aircraft when weather conditions preclude landing at Campbell River airport. Radar data indicate that, at 1906, after passing by Tyee Spit, the aircraft turned southbound and flew directly toward the airport. At about 2 1/2 miles from the airport, at 19:07:40, the aircraft turned right to a heading of approximately 310/ magnetic and flew in that general direction for about two minutes. The aircraft was on a track that was approximately parallel to the extended runway centre line, tracking outbound from the airport with the localizer and the Campbell River (YBL) non-directional beacon (NDB) to the left. The aircraft passed abeam the YBL NDB, which serves as the final approach fix (FAF) for the ILS approach to runway 11, and continued outbound. At 19:09:40, at about three miles outside the beacon, the aircraft turned left to a southerly heading toward the localizer and the YBL NDB. At 19:10:08, the pilot radioed that he was seven miles northwest; this was the last transmission received from the aircraft. At 19:10:25, radar contact was lost. The aircraft crashed into the northwest side of a 1,047-foot mountain at about the 860-foot level, in straight-and-level flight on a heading of 183/ magnetic. The pilot and seven of the passengers received fatal injuries. The two remaining passengers received serious injuries. The accident occurred at 1910 PDT during the hours of official daylight, at latitude 50/01'N, longitude 125/22'W. Official sunset in Campbell River was at 1908, and night was at 1940 PDT.

The single engine aircraft departed Stewart Lake, some 60 miles west of Dryden, on a charter flight to Salvesen Lake, carrying five anglers to a fishing camp. Upon landing on Salvesen Lake, the aircraft flipped over and became submerged. All six occupants were killed. It was reported that the landing was completed with a relative strong tailwind.

Five aircraft departed a lodge, one behind the other. Fog and drizzle were encountered, and the pilot of the first aircraft radioed to the pilots of the other aircraft to cross the river to the east shoreline. A passenger in the fourth aircraft (N13GA) stated that when the aircraft was over the middle of the river, she could not see either shore due to fog. The pilot of N13GA (a floatplane) stated that he encountered deteriorating weather and started a descent, intending to make a precautionary landing. He began to level, expecting conditions to improve. Subsequently, the floatplane hit the surface of 'glassy water' and crashed. Seven passengers were killed and four other occupants were seriously injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The single engine airplane was returning to its base in Ketchikan following maintenance in Thorne Bay. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the engine lost power, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. While landing on water, a control wire snapped, causing the airplane to nose down in the water, coming to rest upside down. All three occupants were rescued by coastguard 20 minutes later and the aircraft sank.

The on-demand fishing/hunting charter air carrier pilot experienced a total loss of power and landed in a small lake. During the ground run following the emergency landing a oil-fed fire destroyed the aircraft. Investigators found inadequate flight following documentation, and fuel records or maintenance records for accident acft or operation. Passenger witnesses reported low fuel gauges prior to takeoff. Fuel pump examination indicated fuel starvation.

The single engine aircraft was engaged in a post maintenance test flight, carrying one engineer and two pilots. Shortly after takeoff from Villeneuve Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft started to pitch up and down then lost height and crashed. The passenger was seriously injured while both pilots were killed, among them Billy Bourque, owner of Loon Air.