What happened
During the early morning hours of a June day in 1994, a pilot and a passenger departed from an unmarked dirt and sand runway at Sainte-Marie-Salomé, Quebec. The flight, intended as a local pre-dawn excursion, commenced around 0600 EDT. Shortly after takeoff, the Champion aircraft entered a right turn. During this initial climb, the aircraft experienced a sudden loss of power and subsequently stalled at a very low altitude. The aircraft impacted a corn field approximately 800 feet from the runway centerline, resulting in two fatalities.
The investigation
Investigators examined the wreckage of the C-GUHX and analyzed engine components, including the exhaust stacks and propeller. The investigation established that the engine was producing little to no power at the moment of impact, as evidenced by the near-zero RPM on the tachometer and the lack of rotation marks on the propeller. While the exact reason for the rapid power reduction could not be definitively identified, the investigation considered both fuel system contamination and carburetor icing as possibilities.
Technical analysis of the aircraft's weight and balance revealed that the plane was 110 pounds over its maximum allowable takeoff weight. Furthermore, the center of gravity was positioned beyond the aft limit. The investigation also looked into the environmental conditions, noting that while the temperature was near freezing, the lack of external visual references during the night departure likely played a role in the pilot's inability to recover from the stall.