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Crash of a Swearingen SA227AC Metro III in Red Lake: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 2013 at 1829 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-FFZN
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sioux Lookout - Red Lake
MSN:
AC-785B
YOM:
1991
Flight number:
BLS311
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
5150
Captain / Total hours on type:
3550.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2200
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1060
Aircraft flight hours:
35474
Circumstances:
Flight from Sioux Lookout was uneventful till the final descent to Red Lake completed by night and in light snow with a ceiling at 2,000 feet and visibility 8 SM. On final approach to runway 26, crew reported south of the airport and declared an emergency. Shortly after this mayday message, aircraft hit power cables and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 800 meters south of the airport. Two passengers seating in the rear were seriously injured while all five other occupants including both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
A first-stage turbine wheel blade in the left engine failed due to a combination of metallurgical issues and stator vane burn-through. As a result of the blade failure, the left engine continued to operate but experienced a near-total loss of power at approximately 500 feet above ground level, on final approach to Runway 26 at the Red Lake Airport. The crew were unable to identify the nature of the engine malfunction, which prevented them from taking timely and appropriate action to control the aircraft. The nature of the engine malfunction resulted in the left propeller being at a very low blade angle, which, together with the landing configuration of the aircraft, resulted in the aircraft being in an increasingly high drag and asymmetric state. When the aircraft’s speed reduced below minimum control speed (VMC), the crew lost control at an altitude from which a recovery was not possible.
Final Report:

Crash of a Beechcraft D18S off Red Lake: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 2013 at 1727 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
C-FWWV
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Red Lake - Red Lake
MSN:
A-618
YOM:
1951
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The pilot and his wife, a couple from Phoenix, were performing a flight from the Red Lake Seaplane base to a tourist Camp located north of Red Lake. The twin engine aircraft took off at 1727LT in marginal weather conditions consisting of wind and rain showers. Shortly after departure, the aircraft crashed into the Bruce Channel located between Cochenour and McKenzie Island. The aircraft sank and both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Cessna 208B Super Cargomaster in Ranger Lake

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1999 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-FKSL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Deer Lake - Red Lake
MSN:
208B-0129
YOM:
1988
Flight number:
WSG126
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While holding outside the control zone at Red Lake (YRL) pending a special VFR clearance, the pilot made a descending turn to avoid a flock of large birds. The right wing struck the water of Ranger Lake and the Cessna overturned. A military DHC-8 diverted to Red Lake and located the Cessna on the west side of Ranger Lake. The airplane was partially submerged and the pilot was on the wing. A floatplane (C-FVTU) subsequently picked up the pilot and returned him to Red Lake. The pilot suffered shoulder injuries, arm injuries, facial injuries and hypothermia.

Crash of a Beechcraft A100 King Air in Thunder Bay

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1999 at 1038 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GASW
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Thunder Bay – Red Lake
MSN:
B-108
YOM:
1972
Flight number:
THU103
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The Thunder Airlines Limited Beech A100 King Air aircraft, serial number B108, took off at 1034 eastern daylight saving time (EDT) on a charter flight from Thunder Bay, Ontario, for Red Lake, Ontario, with two pilots and three passengers on board. After getting airborne, the aircraft pitched up to approximately 70 degrees, reaching a height estimated to be between 500 and 700 feet above ground level. It then rolled to the left, pitched steeply nose-down, and descended to the ground within the confines of the airport. The aircraft contacted the soft, level ground in a relatively level attitude and covered a distance of about 500 feet before coming to rest in a wooded area immediately beyond an elevated railroad bed and track. The cabin remained intact during the crash sequence, and all occupants escaped without any injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair. An ensuing fuel-fed fire was rapidly extinguished by airport emergency response services (ERS)
personnel.
Probable cause:
The flight crew lost pitch control of the aircraft on take-off when the stabilizer trim actuators became disconnected because they had not been properly reinstalled by the AME during maintenance work conducted before the flight. The crew chief responsible for the inspection did not ensure correct assembly of the stabilizer trim actuators, which contributed to the accident.
Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Sioux Lookout: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1995 at 1330 LT
Operator:
Registration:
C-GYPZ
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Sioux Lookout - Red Lake
MSN:
31-7652168
YOM:
1976
Flight number:
SNY3101
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
1250
Captain / Total hours on type:
1000.00
Aircraft flight hours:
6784
Circumstances:
Bearskin flight 362, a Fairchild Swearingen Metro 23, departed Red Lake, Ontario, at 1300 central daylight saving time (CDT), with two pilots and one passenger on board, en route to Sioux Lookout on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. At approximately 30 nautical miles (nm) north of Sioux Lookout, the flight was cleared by the Winnipeg area control centre (ACC) for an approach to the Sioux Lookout airport. Air Sandy flight 3101, a Piper Navajo PA-31, departed Sioux Lookout at 1323 with one pilot and four passengers on board en route to Red Lake on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The pilot of Air Sandy 3101 reported clear of the Sioux Lookout control zone at 1326. No other communication was heard from the Air Sandy flight. At 1315 the Winnipeg ACC controller advised the Sioux Lookout Flight Service specialist that Bearskin 362 was inbound from Red Lake, estimating Sioux Lookout at 1332. At 1327, Bearskin 362 called Sioux Lookout Flight Service Station (FSS) and advised them they had been cleared for an approach and that they were cancelling IFR at 14 nm from the airport. At 1328, as Sioux Lookout FSS was giving an airport advisory to Bearskin 362, the specialist heard an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) emit a signal on the emergency frequencies. Moments later, the pilot of Bearskin 305, a Beechcraft B-99 in the vicinity of Sioux Lookout, advised the specialist that he had just seen a bright flare in the sky and that he was going to investigate. The pilot of Bearskin 305 stated that the flare had fallen to the ground and a fire was burning in a wooded area. A communications search was initiated to locate Bearskin 362, but the aircraft did not respond. A Search and Rescue aircraft from Trenton, Ontario, and an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) helicopter were dispatched to the site. The source of the fire was confirmed to be the Air Sandy aircraft. The MNR helicopter noticed debris and a fuel slick on a nearby lake, Lac Seul. It was later confirmed that Bearskin 362 had crashed into the lake. (See Appendix A.) The two aircraft collided in mid-air at 1328 during the hours of daylight at latitude 50º14'N and longitude 92º07'W, in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). All three persons on board the Bearskin aircraft and all five persons on board the Air Sandy aircraft were fatally injured.
Probable cause:
Neither flight crew saw the other aircraft in time to avoid the collision. Contributing to the occurrence were the inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept which preclude the effective separation of aircraft with high closure rates, the fact that neither crew was directly alerted to the presence of the other aircraft by the Flight Service specialist or by onboard electronic equipment, and an apparent lack of pilot understanding of how to optimize avoidance manoeuvring.
Final Report:

Crash of a Swearingen SA227CC Metro 23 in Sioux Lookout: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1995 at 1330 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
C-GYYB
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Red Lake - Sioux Lookout
MSN:
CC-827B
YOM:
1993
Flight number:
BLS362
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Captain / Total flying hours:
7330
Captain / Total hours on type:
580.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2810
Copilot / Total hours on type:
355
Aircraft flight hours:
3200
Circumstances:
Bearskin flight 362, a Fairchild Swearingen Metro 23, departed Red Lake, Ontario, at 1300 central daylight saving time (CDT), with two pilots and one passenger on board, en route to Sioux Lookout on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan. At approximately 30 nautical miles (nm) north of Sioux Lookout, the flight was cleared by the Winnipeg area control centre (ACC) for an approach to the Sioux Lookout airport. Air Sandy flight 3101, a Piper Navajo PA-31, departed Sioux Lookout at 1323 with one pilot and four passengers on board en route to Red Lake on a visual flight rules (VFR) flight. The pilot of Air Sandy 3101 reported clear of the Sioux Lookout control zone at 1326. No other communication was heard from the Air Sandy flight. At 1315 the Winnipeg ACC controller advised the Sioux Lookout Flight Service specialist that Bearskin 362 was inbound from Red Lake, estimating Sioux Lookout at 1332. At 1327, Bearskin 362 called Sioux Lookout Flight Service Station (FSS) and advised them they had been cleared for an approach and that they were cancelling IFR at 14 nm from the airport. At 1328, as Sioux Lookout FSS was giving an airport advisory to Bearskin 362, the specialist heard an emergency locator transmitter (ELT) emit a signal on the emergency frequencies. Moments later, the pilot of Bearskin 305, a Beechcraft B-99 in the vicinity of Sioux Lookout, advised the specialist that he had just seen a bright flare in the sky and that he was going to investigate. The pilot of Bearskin 305 stated that the flare had fallen to the ground and a fire was burning in a wooded area. A communications search was initiated to locate Bearskin 362, but the aircraft did not respond. A Search and Rescue aircraft from Trenton, Ontario, and an Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR) helicopter were dispatched to the site. The source of the fire was confirmed to be the Air Sandy aircraft. The MNR helicopter noticed debris and a fuel slick on a nearby lake, Lac Seul. It was later confirmed that Bearskin 362 had crashed into the lake. (See Appendix A.) The two aircraft collided in mid-air at 1328 during the hours of daylight at latitude 50º14'N and longitude 92º07'W, in visual meteorological conditions (VMC). All three persons on board the Bearskin aircraft and all five persons on board the Air Sandy aircraft were fatally injured.
Probable cause:
Neither flight crew saw the other aircraft in time to avoid the collision. Contributing to the occurrence were the inherent limitations of the see-and-avoid concept which preclude the effective separation of aircraft with high closure rates, the fact that neither crew was directly alerted to the presence of the other aircraft by the Flight Service specialist or by onboard electronic equipment, and an apparent lack of pilot understanding of how to optimize avoidance manoeuvring.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Pikangikum: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 1, 1988 at 1302 LT
Operator:
Registration:
C-FBJE
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Red Lake - Pikangikum
MSN:
13453
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
GX937
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
22884
Circumstances:
A Douglas DC-3C was destroyed when it crashed in Pikangikum Lake, ON, Canada. Both the pilot and the co-pilot were fatally injured in the accident. The airplane departed Red Lake Airport, ON (YRL) as Air Ontario flight 937 on a flight to Pikangikum Airport, ON (YPM). The main cargo load being carried consisted of a rubberized bladder tank containing 2,068 litres of fuel oil. Weather at the Pikangikum Airport was poor with drizzle, low clouds, and fog, with a visibility of one and one-half to two miles. The airplane was heard overflying the airport and turning over the Pikangikum Lake in preparation for a final approach and landing on runway 27. While over the water the airplane stalled and struck the ice-covered lake 180 feet south of a tree-covered island. It descended through the ice and struck the lake bottom at a depth of 8 to 12 feet. The ice thickness at the area of impact varied from one inch to three inches. Both pilots were killed.
Probable cause:
It is probable that the aircraft stalled at an altitude and in flight conditions from which recovery was not possible.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Red Lake

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-IRH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
836
YOM:
1945
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Red Lake, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls and strong winds. He lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was injured.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Ball Lake: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 20, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-DRF
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Kenora – Red Lake
MSN:
429
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route from Kenora to Red Lake, weather conditions deteriorated with heavy snow falls. The pilot reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when the single engine airplane crashed onto the icy Ball Lake. Rescuers arrived a day later and the pilot was seriously injured. All three passengers were killed.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Red Lake: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-BTH
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
McDowell Lake - Red Lake
MSN:
129
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
In the late afternoon, the pilot took off from Red Lake for McDowell Lake, Ontario. This flight was normal. However, on the return trip, on its final approach-to-land, the navigation lights of the aircraft were seen and reduction in-power was heard. Then an unusual noise followed by a burst of power was heard, which in turn was followed by the power being turned off and the thud, as the aircraft crashed into the water and rocka in a semi-inverted nose-down position. The pilot was killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Due to the continuation of a day VFR flight into the hours of darkness the pilot had to try a night landing without proper facilities and in so doing hit tall trees which caused the aircraft to crash into the water.
Final Report: