What happened
On a flight departing from Mirage Outfitter, located approximately 60 miles east of La Grande-4 Airport, Quebec, a ski-equipped aircraft was conducting a mission to locate caribou herds. The flight departed at roughly 11:30 eastern standard time with a pilot and four passengers on board. Approximately 40 minutes into the flight, the engine ceased operation, preventing the crew from maintaining power.
Unable to sustain flight, the pilot performed a forced landing on rugged terrain. While the aircraft sustained heavy damage during the impact, the crew and passengers survived the event. Among the occupants, two passengers sustained serious injuries. Following the crash, the pilot successfully utilized a satellite telephone to coordinate a rescue. A helicopter carrying medical personnel arrived at the site approximately 90 minutes after the incident occurred.
Findings
Investigation into the engine failure revealed that the loss of power was caused by fuel starvation. It was noted that the aircraft's fuel system had undergone modifications following the installation of wings produced by Advanced Wing Technologies Corporation.