What happened
On the afternoon of the incident, a Super King Air 200, registered as BB-153, was preparing for a scheduled charter flight from Sept-Îles to Dorval, Quebec, under instrument flight rules. The aircraft was carrying a total of twelve people, consisting of two crew members and ten passengers.
During the takeoff roll on runway 09, the co-pilot was operating the controls. As the aircraft reached an airspeed of approximately 90 knots—which was 5 knots below the required rotation speed—the plane began to deviate toward the left side of the runway. The co-pilot attempted to use the rudder to maintain the centerline, but the deviation continued.
As the airspeed reached roughly 100 knots, the co-pilot pulled the elevator control fully back to initiate a climb. Simultaneously, the pilot-in-command reduced engine power in an attempt to avoid a collision with a snowbank located at the edge of the runway. The aircraft subsequently descended and struck the snow-covered ground north of the runway. The plane slid on its belly and eventually stopped facing the opposite direction of its original takeoff heading.
Findings
- The aircraft sustained significant damage during the excursion.
- The pilot-in-command sustained one minor injury.
- The primary factor in the excursion was the unsuccessful attempt to correct the takeoff track using the rudder before the aircraft left the runway surface.