What happened
On 24 May 2016, a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, registration C-FJOM, was attempting to land at a water aerodrome in Kitkatla, British Columbia. During the landing sequence, the aircraft encountered a hard impact with the water, which caused the plane to bounce. A second hard landing followed, resulting in the left wing striking the water surface. The impact caused the aircraft to settle into the water and partially nose over.
There were 7 persons on board at the time of the accident. As the aircraft began to sink, all occupants exited the plane into the water. While all passengers and crew were successfully rescued by local boaters, 3 persons required transport via MEDEVAC to a hospital for suspected minor injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the sequence of the landing and the safety equipment used during the flight. It was established that none of the occupants were wearing personal flotation devices during the flight, and the crew did not use the available life vests when exiting the sinking aircraft.