What happened
On a recent afternoon in Ontario, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver operated by Sudbury Aviation Limited was performing an approach to Kennedy Lake. The aircraft, registered as C-FHVT, was carrying a pilot and two passengers at the time of the incident. As the aircraft was preparing to flare for landing, it experienced a sudden roll to the left side.
In an effort to stabilize the flight, the pilot implemented corrective measures, including the application of full right aileron and right rudder. Despite these maneuvers, the pilot was unable to recover the aircraft's attitude. Consequently, the plane impacted rising, tree-covered ground situated just above the shoreline. The impact caused the aircraft to come to rest on its right side on a sloped area of the terrain.
Following the impact, the occupants were able to reach a nearby company fishing camp located on the lake. Among the three people on board, the pilot and the passenger seated in the rear of the aircraft sustained minor injuries, while the passenger in the front right seat remained unhurt. There was no fire reported at the crash site.
Findings
During the emergency, a passenger manually triggered the 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter. The activation of the ELT prompted a search and rescue response. Additionally, a Cessna 185 belonging to the same operator arrived at the lake after the initial flight was noted as overdue. Communication between the Cessna 185 and the responding rescue aircraft confirmed that the occupants were safe and that further assistance was unnecessary.