What happened
On a scheduled mission from an outfitter base at Squaw Lake, Quebec, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, registered as C-FODG, departed at 09:25 EDT carrying supplies and one passenger. The flight was intended to be a visual flight rules (VFR) round-trip visiting two wilderness locations, Camp 2 and Camp Pons.
While conditions were favorable during the initial departure, weather forecasts indicated worsening conditions later in the day. After completing the visits to both camps, the pilot encountered deteriorating weather on the return leg to Squaw Lake. This prompted a precautionary landing on Elross Lake, situated approximately 15 nautical miles northwest of the original base.
At 16:30, the pilot communicated via high frequency radio to the company, stating an intention to depart from Elross Lake as a break in the weather appeared to be developing. However, the aircraft failed to return to the base camp as planned, prompting the start of search and rescue operations that evening.
Search teams located the wreckage at 12:30 the following day, roughly 4 nautical miles from Elross Lake. The aircraft was found to have been destroyed by a fire that occurred after the impact. The pilot suffered fatal injuries during the accident.
Findings
- The pilot performed a precautionary landing due to deteriorating weather conditions during the return flight.