What happened
On the evening of 20 April 2016, an Exploits Valley Air Services Beech 1900D, operating as Air Canada flight EV7804, was performing a flight from Goose Bay International Airport to Gander International Airport in Newfoundland and Labrador. While attempting to land on Runway 03 at approximately 9:30 pm local time, the aircraft's nose landing gear collapsed. Following the collapse, the plane slid along the runway before coming to a halt.
At the time of the incident, weather conditions were poor, characterized by light snow and blowing snow that reduced visibility to approximately half a mile. The ceiling was reported at 700 feet, and the area was experiencing heavy winds from the north at 36 knots, with gusts reaching up to 52 knots.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure of the landing gear during the landing phase. The TSB examined the sequence of events leading to the aircraft sliding on the runway and the impact of the environmental conditions on the landing attempt.