Flight and Incident
A twin-engine aircraft departed Lourdes-de-Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, on a charter flight to Mont-Joli Airport, operating under instrument flight rules. On board were seven persons. At a cruising altitude of 6,000 feet above sea level, approximately 50 nautical miles west of Port-Meunier, the left engine lost power. The pilot applied full power to both engines, notified the air traffic controller of the power loss, and continued the flight. He attempted to maintain the best rate-of-climb speed for single-engine operation, but the aircraft descended at 400 to 500 feet per minute.
Two minutes later, at about 4,800 feet, the pilot diverted towards Sept-Îles Airport. Approximately 25 nautical miles south of Sept-Îles, he requested assistance, declared an emergency, and indicated his intention to ditch the aircraft in the St. Lawrence River. At roughly 1,000 feet, the pilot feathered the left engine propeller and completed safety checks for a water landing, advising passengers of the procedures.
Emergency Procedures and Ditching
The aircraft ditched in the river, and all seven occupants evacuated through the aft main door. The aircraft sank seconds later. The pilot and passengers treaded water for about forty minutes without life jackets before being rescued by a civilian helicopter. No injuries occurred. The accident happened in daylight under visual meteorological conditions.
Rescue and Aftermath
Two overflying aircraft guided the rescue helicopter, which arrived about 30 minutes after ditching. A raft was dropped, and the occupants were hoisted aboard. A second helicopter joined, and all were transported to Sept-Îles Airport. The aircraft was not equipped with life jackets; Transport Canada regulations did not require them for this multi-engine flight operating within 50 nautical miles of shore. Following the event, the company equipped all its aircraft with life jackets.
Investigation Findings
The investigation determined that the aircraft was certified and maintained per regulations. Takeoff weight was at maximum allowable, and center of gravity was within limits. The carrier was authorized to operate without a co-pilot. The pilot was certified, had about 530 total flying hours (230 on type), and had completed company training on the Piper Navajo two months before. A commercial pilot with multi-engine and instrument ratings occupied the right seat as an observer undergoing training.
The left engine (Lycoming 540-J2BD) had been installed one week prior, accumulating 12 hours of service. It was fitted with a turbocharger; when non-functional, about 75 percent of power remains. Technical logbooks showed no deficiencies, and a fuel sample was uncontaminated.
During the power loss, the pilot felt a yaw, speed decreased, the autopilot disengaged, and a passenger reported white smoke from the left engine. The pilot initiated emergency procedures but observed the intake pressure gauge indicating 23 inches. Interpreting this as a partial power loss from turbocharger failure, he left the engine running and did not feather the propeller. According to the operating manual, with propeller feathered at the estimated weight, a climb of 230 fpm at 109 knots was possible; with unfeathered propeller, drag prevented altitude maintenance.
The aircraft flew over the St. Lawrence River for much of the route. At power loss, it was over water 55 nm from Sept-Îles and 15 nm from Sainte-Anne-des-Monts, which had a runway. The pilot deemed conditions there unfavorable and set course for Sept-Îles without declaring an emergency initially. When he realized he could not reach land, he requested Coast Guard assistance and declared an emergency. The controller dispatched a civilian helicopter.
Radar data analysis showed the rate of descent was about 500 fpm to 1,000 feet, then decreased to 100 fpm. In ideal conditions with immediate feathering, the aircraft could have traveled an additional 130 miles and arrived over Sept-Îles at 2,500 feet.
The wreckage sank in 850 feet of water and was not recovered, so the exact cause of engine power loss could not be determined. However, the yaw, loss of intake pressure, and altitude loss indicated a power loss more substantial than turbocharger failure alone. Due to limited experience, the pilot interpreted the indications as partial power loss and decided to continue, simplifying his decision-making and not verifying whether the loss was complete. He did not feather the propeller until 1,000 feet, contributing to the inability to reach destination.