Incident Overview

Date: Saturday 1 May 1999
Aircraft Type: de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter
Owner/operator: Points North Air Services
Registration Number: C-FASV
Location: Waterfound Lake, SK – ÿ Canada
Phase of Flight: Take off
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 6
Component Affected: The aircraft’s takeoff run and engine RPM.The aircraft’s takeoff run and engine RPM.
Investigating Agency: TSBTSB
Category: Accident
An aircraft experienced a catastrophic incident due to pilot error and adverse weather conditions. The pilot deviated from established procedures, resulting in a rapid acceleration in a slushy area, leading to a failed takeoff. The pilot then initiated a series of maneuvers to attempt a second takeoff, exceeding a previously established rejection point, and ultimately crashed into the shoreline.An aircraft experienced a catastrophic incident due to pilot error and adverse weather conditions. The pilot deviated from established procedures, resulting in a rapid acceleration in a slushy area, leading to a failed takeoff. The pilot then initiated a series of maneuvers to attempt a second takeoff, exceeding a previously established rejection point, and ultimately crashed into the shoreline.

Description

The aircraft accelerated slowly in the slush, and the pilot rejected the takeoff. He selected a different takeoff run, moved a passenger to a forward seat, and attempted a second takeoff. The pilot continued beyond his previously selected rejection distance. The engine revolutions per minute (rpm) then reportedly decreased by about 150 rpm. The aircraft did not become airborne, and it ran into the low shoreline and crashed, skidding to a stop about 300 feet from the shore. An intense fire broke out immediately. The passengers and pilot evacuated the aircraft. Only one passenger suffered minor burns during the evacuation. Flames engulfed the main fuselage and engine, destroying the aircraft. CAUSES AND CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: “The pilot continued the take-off run with the left ski firmly adhering to the slushy surface beyond a point at which a reject could have been made safely. Contributing to the occurrence was the decrease in engine rpm during take-off.”

Primary Cause

Pilot error and deviation from established takeoff procedures due to the slushy conditions.Pilot error and deviation from established takeoff procedures due to the slushy conditions.

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