What happened
On a medical evacuation mission originating from Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia, an aircraft was transporting two pilots and a team of two Advanced Life Support Paramedics to the Queen Charlotte Islands. As the flight approached Sandspit Airport, the crew encountered challenging weather conditions characterized by strong, gusty winds blowing across the runway.
While performing an instrument approach to Runway 30, the aircraft experienced a sudden downward pitch of the nose immediately prior to touchdown. The captain reported that the nosewheel collapsed, followed by the failure of the main landing gear, causing the aircraft to slide along the runway on its belly. Following the impact, the crew performed an emergency evacuation and moved to the airport terminal.
Upon returning to the wreckage to collect personal items, the crew observed that the landing gear selector was in the up position and the gear itself was retracted. The incident occurred at 2052 Pacific standard time. While the aircraft sustained substantial damage, there were no injuries reported among the four occupants.
Findings
- The landing gear was found in the retracted position.
- The landing gear selector was set to the up position during the approach.