What happened
On a landing attempt at St. Anthony Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador, a de Havilland DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registered as C-FOPN, experienced a significant landing error. The aircraft, carrying two crew members and eight passengers, initially made contact with the runway using its left tire. Following this contact, the aircraft bounced back into the air. Upon its second touchdown, the aircraft struck the runway with excessive force on the nosewheel.
This hard impact caused the nose landing gear to collapse. The aircraft subsequently skidded along the ground, eventually coming to a stop 96 feet away from the north side of Runway 10. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, there were no injuries reported among the occupants. Notably, the aircraft's 406-megahertz emergency locator transmitter failed to activate during the event.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing maneuver and the mechanical response of the landing gear. Investigators examined the impact dynamics that led to the nosewheel failure and the subsequent excursion from the runway centerline.