What happened
On 10 January 2024, a De Havilland DHC-3T operated by Kississing Lake Lodge Ltd. (dba as Wings Over Kississing) was performing a scheduled flight from Wollaston Lake Airport to Points North Landing Airport in Saskatchewan. Shortly after departing, the pilot encountered a mechanical issue where the engine power could not be reduced to the required climb setting. Despite multiple attempts to lower the power and the activation of the emergency power lever, the engine remained at a high power setting.
In an effort to maintain a safe airspeed, the pilot began a climb. As the flight progressed toward the destination, the airspeed accelerated beyond 140 miles per hour, causing the pilot's side window to shatter. Upon approaching Points North Landing Airport, the pilot used the condition lever to shut down the engine at an altitude of roughly 4,000 feet above sea level. Following the engine shutdown, the aircraft decelerated more rapidly than the pilot had expected. During the final approach, the aircraft struck trees before coming to rest adjacent to the runway. The impact resulted in no injuries, though the aircraft suffered significant damage to its nose, landing gear, and left wing.
The investigation
The TSB examined the sequence of events following the engine power malfunction and the subsequent flight path of the aircraft. The investigation focused on the failure of the power reduction mechanisms, including the emergency power lever, and the aerodynamic behavior of the aircraft following the engine shutdown.