What happened
On the morning of the accident, an aircraft was performing an instrument flight rules departure from Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport, bound for Sept-Îles, Quebec. At 05:57 Eastern Daylight Time, the crew initiated the takeoff roll on Runway 30. Approximately 68 seconds into the takeoff, the co-pilot notified air traffic control of a malfunction involving the right engine and indicated an intention to return to the airport for an emergency landing on the same runway.
Following the report of the engine issue, the crew requested the deployment of aircraft rescue and fire-fighting services, noting that the aircraft had lost the ability to climb. Shortly after this communication, the aircraft impacted the ground approximately 1.5 nautical miles from the threshold of Runway 30. The momentum of the aircraft carried it an additional 115 feet before it collided with a berm. The impact caused the aircraft to break apart and ignite, eventually coming to rest on its back 58 feet beyond the berm. The accident resulted in 7 fatalities, including all 2 crew members and 5 passengers on board. The emergency locator transmitter failed to transmit a signal during the event.
Findings
- The aircraft experienced a failure of the right engine during the takeoff phase.
- The loss of engine power prevented the aircraft from maintaining a safe climb gradient.