What happened
On 20 January 2020, a de Havilland DHC-8-314, registered as C-GXAI, was performing a scheduled commercial flight from Québec/Jean Lesage Airport to Schefferville Airport. The aircraft, operated by Air Inuit Ltd., was carrying 42 passengers and 3 crew members at the time of the incident.
As the aircraft touched down on Runway 35 at approximately 11:09 Eastern Standard Time, the rear section of the fuselage made contact with the runway surface. Following the impact, the aircraft was able to taxi to the terminal, where all passengers and crew were permitted to disembark. While there were no injuries reported, the impact caused major damage to the aircraft's structure. Notably, the emergency locator transmitter failed to activate during the event.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the circumstances surrounding the touchdown on Runway 35. Investigators examined the flight path and the state of the aircraft during its final approach to determine why the aft fuselage made contact with the ground.