What happened
During a flight intended to transport supplies and passengers to Dorothy Lake, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 departed from a bay situated at the northeast extremity of Bamaji Lake. The aircraft was operating on floats and was performing the first of two scheduled trips to move a family and their equipment approximately 12 miles north.
On board this specific leg, the passengers included a mother and her four children. Witnesses at the departure site observed the plane take off under seemingly normal conditions, noting the sound of the engine as it moved away. However, after the aircraft passed around a nearby point, onlookers heard a loud noise comparable to a shotgun blast.
Upon investigating the area by boat, rescuers located only fragments of the floats and a small section of the tail protruding from the water. The accident resulted in five fatalities.
Findings
Witnesses reported hearing a sudden, sharp sound similar to a firearm discharge shortly after the aircraft disappeared from view, suggesting a mechanical failure or structural compromise occurred during the early stages of flight.