De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Dr. Pierre Bornais located at Fort George, Quebec, received a call at 1430LT and was informed that two children aged 4 and 9 have high fever and must be transferred as quick as possible to an hospital at Fort George. A De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver operated by Air Fecteau was chartered to transfer the boys who were leaving on Comb Island. The single engine airplane was carrying both children, their grandparents, a nurse and a pilot. While taking off in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck a wave with its tail and crashed in the Baie James, between Wemindji and Fort George. The aircraft sank and all six occupants were killed. At 1700LT, SAR teams were dispatched on site and the pilot body was found. All five other bodies were recovered a day later. The wreckage was recovered and later transferred.
Crew:
André Sigouin, pilot, aged 23.
Passengers:
Céliane Bernard, nurse, aged 23,
Jenny Kanatewat aged 4,
Bryan Kanatewat aged 9,
Albert Kanatewat aged 55,
Lucie Kanatewat aged 54.

After takeoff from Populus Lake, while climbing to a height of 75 feet, the single engine airplane banked left, entered a dive and crashed. There were no casualties.

While flying at low altitude, the single engine airplane struck trees with one of its wings. It lost height and crashed in a wooded area located near Comes Lake, north of Tiberiade Lake. A passenger was killed while two other occupants were injured.

After takeoff, while climbing, the single engine airplane struck power cables and crashed. A passenger was killed while five other occupants were injured.

Crashed in unknown circumstances while engaged in a crop spraying mission. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

The single engine airplane departed Middle Wallop on a liaison flight with one passenger and one pilot on board. While trying to land in a field in foggy conditions, the airplane overshot then struck a fence and crashed in flames near the M3 motorway. The aircraft was destroyed by fire and both occupants were killed.

While completing a local topdressing flight, the pilot lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot, sole on board, was killed. It seems that the aircraft was working and part-way through an agricultural procedure turn, pulling probably 2G+ as normal, when the fin attachment bolts failed. The investigation concluded that apparently the fin and rudder had rolled through about 90 degrees and rested (horizontally) on the tailplane and elevator. The pilot would have been immediately deprived of vertical and directional control at that instant. Being at low altitude, there would have been no means of recovering, even if some vertical control could have been achieved. The wreckage was beyond economic repair and the aircraft was written off at that time. However, the investigation did lead to fleet-wide inspection of all fin attachment bolts and some worn/cracked bolts were revealed. An Airworthiness Directive was immediately issued and all the DHC-2 Beavers were grounded until the inspections and bolt replacements had been completed. While the Beaver was built as a rugged bush aircraft, it was subjected to repeated overload operations from rough agricultural airstrips and subjected to high aerodynamic G forces in every day of agricultural operations.
Source: Geoff Goodall.

The engine failed in flight, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing near McKinstry Lake. Both occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

After takeoff from Otter Lake, SK, while in initial climb, the single engine airplane initiated a left turn then a right turn. It rolled left and right then pitched down and crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

The aircraft, with pilot and five passengers on board was being flown from Shoal Harbour to Campbell River. The flight was the scheduled service operated daily from Campbell River with several stops along the coast and returning to Campbell River. On arrival at Shoal Harbour dock area, the aircraft was docked and one passenger got on board. The aircraft taxied out for departure. The take-off was from the harbour in a south easterly direction. Shortly after the lift-off from the water, and at a height of 100 feet, the aircraft made a 180° turn to the left and dived into the ground at an angle of 30°. The crash site was just inside the tree line and approximately 50 feet from the water’s edge. The plane exploded on impact and burned. One passenger walked out from the wreckage seconds after the crash but died in hospital at Vancouver the same day. There were therefore no survivors.