Air Manitoba Hawker Siddeley 748 Crash at Sandy Lake (C-GQTH)

Flight Details and Accident Sequence On 10 November 1993, a Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2A Model 234 (HS 748) owned and operated by Air Manitoba Ltd. departed Winnipeg at 1438 central standard time on scheduled flight NAM 205/206. The flight was conducted under an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight plan and flight notification, with planned stops at Sandy Lake, Ontario; St. Theresa Point, Manitoba; Island Lake, Manitoba; and a return to Winnipeg, Manitoba. The aircraft arrived at Sandy Lake at approximately 1549, but the crew could not land because of low ceiling and visibility. It then diverted to St. Theresa Point, landing at 1630. After a normal turnaround, 26 passengers departed from St. Theresa Point, and 2,086 pounds of fuel was uploaded to an estimated total of 6,700 pounds on board. The aircraft left St. Theresa Point for Sandy Lake at 1720 and landed there at approximately 1745. Twenty-two passengers deplaned, while four remained aboard. The aircraft was not refueled or otherwise serviced at Sandy Lake, and both engines were shut down during the stop. On takeoff from Sandy Lake, the aircraft carried two pilots, a flight attendant, and four passengers. It departed runway 29 at approximately 1805 and entered a right turn. Witnesses reported that the aircraft appeared to fly at a lower-than-normal height throughout the turn. After turning through approximately 120 degrees, the aircraft descended into 100-foot trees and crashed about one nautical mile northwest of the airport. All seven occupants were fatally injured. The accident occurred during the hours of darkness. The wreckage was located at latitude 53°04'71''N, longitude 93°21'38''W, at an elevation of approximately 940 feet above sea level.