What happened
On a scheduled instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Hay River to Fort Smith, Northwest Territories, the Northwestern Air BAe Jetstream 31, operating as PLR734, encountered difficulties during its arrival. The flight crew initially attempted an IFR approach to Runway 11, which resulted in a missed approach. Following this, the crew performed a full procedure approach for Runway 29.
As the aircraft neared the runway threshold, approximately 0.2 nautical miles out, the crew identified the approach strobe lights and proceeded with the landing. However, just before reaching the runway surface, the aircraft entered an aerodynamic stall. The plane made a hard impact on the runway at 1515 mountain standard time. During the landing, the left main landing gear collapsed, though the aircraft was able to remain on the runway surface.
There were no reports of fire following the impact. All five occupants, consisting of two crew members and three passengers, exited the aircraft via the left main cabin door without sustaining any injuries.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced an aerodynamic stall prior to touchdown.