What happened
At 0425 CDT, a Cessna 441 Conquest was performing an international charter flight from Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to Gods Lake Narrows, Manitoba. After a scheduled stop at Fort Frances, Ontario, for refueling and customs, the aircraft attempted a night take-off from runway 30. During the acceleration, the pilot observed a bird flying near the left side of the aircraft. Shortly after reaching rotation speed, the left engine experienced a significant power loss.
Despite the loss of power, the pilot elected to continue the take-off. The aircraft subsequently veered to the left and crashed off the side of the runway. The impact caused substantial damage to the Cessna 441 Conquest, including the separation of the left engine and damage to the landing gear and fuel tanks. While there were 7 occupants on board, all 7 persons sustained only minor/none injuries.
The investigation
The investigation focused on the mechanical failure and the flight parameters at the time of the accident. Investigators recovered bird remains, specifically a gull, from the runway, which provided evidence of bird ingestion. The investigation also reviewed the aircraft's weight and balance records. While the initial manifest suggested the aircraft was within limits, a post-accident recalculation of passenger and baggage weights revealed that the actual take-off gross weight was 10,471 lb, exceeding the maximum allowable 9,850 lb. Furthermore, the center of gravity was found to be 180.0 inches, which was beyond the permitted aft limit.
Findings
- The primary cause of the accident was the pilot losing control of the aircraft during take-off due to a loss of power in the left engine caused by bird ingestion.
- The loss of control was further compounded by the aircraft operating at a take-off weight that exceeded the maximum allowable limit.
- The aircraft's center of gravity was positioned aft of the allowable limits specified in the flight manual.
- An extremely hazardous bird site was identified within one mile of the Fort Frances airport due to the proximity of a local garbage dump.
- The emergency locator transmitter (ELT) failed to activate because the deceleration forces during the crash acted in a direction opposite to what is required for activation.