What happened
On a scheduled flight from Iqaluit to Igloolik, Nunavut, a Hawker Siddeley HS-748-2A operated by First Air experienced a malfunction during the takeoff roll on runway 36. As the aircraft reached rotation speed, the captain attempted to lift the nose, but the plane failed to leave the ground. Seven seconds after reaching rotation speed, the crew performed a rejected takeoff.
During the aborted takeoff, the aircraft was unable to come to a halt within the runway limits. As the plane traveled onto soft terrain past the runway end, the nose-wheel landing gear collapsed. The aircraft subsequently struck a localizer antenna and slid for roughly 700 feet. The sequence ended when the aircraft settled in a nose-down position in a ravine, approximately 800 feet from the end of the runway.
There were seven people on board, including two pilots, a flight attendant, a loadmaster, and three passengers. During the evacuation, the flight attendant exited via the rear left cabin door, while the two pilots exited through the cockpit windows to meet the others. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, there were no fatalities, though the flight attendant sustained minor injuries due to the sudden deceleration.
Findings
- The aircraft failed to achieve flight following rotation.
- The nose-wheel gear collapsed due to the aircraft traveling onto soft ground beyond the runway surface.