Accident Overview
On the day of the accident, a de Havilland DHC-2 (Beaver) floatplane, serial number 841, departed Hotnarko Lake, British Columbia, at approximately 1630 Pacific daylight time. The pilot and six passengers were on board, along with fishing gear and fish. Soon after takeoff, the pilot entered a left turn. Before the turn was completed, the aircraft rolled further left to about 40 degrees of bank without command, and the nose dropped. The aircraft did not respond to initial pilot inputs and continued in a left, diving turn toward trees at the lake's edge. The pilot attempted to bring the aircraft back over the lake. The aircraft began to recover from the bank and the nose started to rise, but it struck the lake surface before regaining a level attitude. The aircraft broke apart on contact with the water and sank soon after.
Flight History
The pilot, who was employed by Avnorth Aviation Ltd., had received recurrent training on the type in the previous month and was certificated to operate the DHC-2. He had about 10 years of experience operating floatplanes in the area, with about 100 hours on the Beaver. On the morning of the accident, he flew from Nimpo Lake to his lodge to pick up six sport fishermen. They flew to Hotnarko Lake, where the fishermen fished while the pilot returned to Nimpo Lake. At about 1600, the pilot flew back to Hotnarko Lake to retrieve the fishermen and their gear, which included three outboard motors, fuel, fish, and personal items. Winds were from the northwest at about 20 to 30 knots, gusting to 40 knots, with two-foot waves and whitecaps.
Survivors and Fatalities
The pilot and four passengers managed to free themselves from the wreckage, but only three passengers and the pilot swam to shore. One passenger slipped below the water surface before reaching shore and drowned. Two passengers remained in the aircraft below the surface, one secured by his seat belt, and drowned. Medical examination determined that the three passengers died from drowning.
Aircraft and Weight
Calculations using standard weights showed the aircraft was about 385 pounds above its maximum gross take-off weight of 5090 pounds. The calculated weight did not include fish and some baggage left in the lake. The center of gravity was about 2.7 inches aft of the aft limit of 6.1 inches. The aircraft was equipped with eight inflatable life jackets, but none were worn during the flight or survival sequence.
Investigation Findings
Inspection of the wreckage revealed that all control mechanisms functioned properly except where impact damage occurred. No mechanical failure or power loss was noted before impact. The wing flaps were at the cruise setting (up), and the fuel selector was on the center tank. The airspeed indicator showed a mark consistent with 58 mph at impact. The stall speed, with flaps up and wings level, is 60 mph for this type. The loss of control was concluded to be due to an aerodynamic stall, attributed to the aircraft's heavy weight, aft center of gravity, and the turn configuration.