What happened
On 23 January 2023, a De Havillance Canada DHC-6-300 Twin Otter, registration VP-FBC, was performing a private flight in the Ellsworth Mountains, Antarctica. The aircraft was tasked with transporting a field team to a new, unmanned location known as Station E322. After successfully landing at the site, the commander prepared a 800-metre skiway to facilitate the departure of a following aircraft.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft deviated from the prepared skiway and the nose landing gear struck a small ice ridge, known as a sastrugi. As the aircraft became airborne, the commander noticed that the primary flight display and standby artificial indicator were misaligned, and internal cockpit covers near the rudder pedals had been dislodged.
Due to concerns regarding fuel reserves and changing weather, the commander diverted to a nearby fuel depot at Castle to inspect the aircraft. Finding the aircraft airworthy, he then proceeded to the Sky Blu field station. Upon arrival, a licensed engineer confirmed damage to the forward bulkhead and the fairing surrounding the nose landing gear.
The investigation
The investigation examined the cause of the aircraft's deviation from the skiway and the commander's decision-making process. Investigators looked into the environmental challenges of the Antarctic landscape, specifically the difficulty of detecting lateral movement in a monochrome, low-contrast environment.
The investigation also reviewed the communication barriers between the crew and management. The commander reported a psychological barrier to contacting the chief pilot, citing the difficulty of relaying complex technical information via unreliable satellite phones. The operator's investigation also considered the tension between protecting high-value assets and ensuring the safety of personnel in an extremely hostile environment.