What happened
On a scheduled cargo flight traveling from Pickle Lake, Ontario, to Kasabonika, Ontario, Wasaya Airways Ltd. Flight 804 experienced a runway excursion. As the Hawker Siddeley 748-2A was completing its landing roll, the crew was unable to bring the aircraft to a halt within the available runway length. The plane subsequently overran the end of the strip by approximately 450 feet.
While the aircraft was ultimately destroyed in the accident, there were no fatalities. Among those on board, the captain, the first officer, and one freight handler sustained minor injuries, while a second freight handler escaped without harm.
Findings
Official investigations concluded that the aircraft arrived at a touchdown point that left insufficient distance to stop under the existing environmental conditions. Several factors contributed to the inability to decelerate effectively, including the decision to utilize runway 03 for the landing and the failure to immediately transition the propellers to ground fine pitch. Additionally, investigators noted that inaccuracies within the runway analysis manual used at the time may have played a role in the incident.