On November 29, 1991, an Avro 748 (registration C-GGOO) operated by Air Creebec was involved in an aviation accident near Rivière-au-Saumon, Canada during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft's water/methanol system had been serviced from a drum containing contaminated fluid. The drum was not labelled in a properly manner. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 3 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
During takeoff at Rivière-au-Saumon Airport, the right engine caught fire and exploded. The crew aborted takeoff and performed emergency braking. All 35 occupants evacuated uninjured; the aircraft was destroyed.
Incident Overview
At Rivière-au-Saumon Airport, an aircraft was in the takeoff roll when the right engine caught fire and exploded. The crew promptly abandoned the takeoff procedure and executed an emergency braking maneuver. All 35 occupants on board escaped without injury, but the aircraft sustained damage beyond repair.
Investigation Findings
The official investigation determined that the aircraft's water/methanol system had been serviced from a drum containing contaminated fluid. The drum was not labelled in a proper manner, leading to the contamination.
Conclusion
The probable cause of the incident was the use of contaminated fluid in the water/methanol system, introduced by an improperly labelled storage drum.