What happened
On a charter flight departing from Thunder Bay, Ontario, a Beech A100 operated by Thunder Airlines Limited experienced a critical flight path deviation shortly after departure. The flight, which was destined for Red Lake, Ontario, departed at 10:34 EDT with a total of five people on board, including two pilots and three passengers.
Immediately after takeoff, the aircraft experienced an extreme pitch-up maneuver, reaching an angle of approximately 70 degrees at an altitude estimated between 500 and 700 feet. Following this ascent, the plane rolled to the left and entered a steep nose-down descent. The aircraft struck the soft, level ground within the airport boundaries while maintaining a relatively level attitude. After the initial impact, the plane traveled roughly 500 feet before stopping in a wooded area located past an elevated railroad track.
While the impact caused the aircraft to be a total loss, the cabin structure remained intact. All five occupants managed to exit the aircraft without sustaining any injuries. A fire fueled by leaking fuel ignited upon impact but was quickly suppressed by airport emergency response teams.
Findings
Following the impact, the aircraft was determined to be damaged beyond repair. The sequence of events began with an uncontrolled pitch-up maneuver immediately following takeoff.