Incident Overview
A de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, registration C-FLGA, serial number 279, owned by Deraps Aviation Inc., departed from Lake de l'Avion, Quebec, near Natashquan Airport at approximately 1050 eastern daylight time. The flight was destined for a hunting camp located 57 miles to the north along the Aguanish River. The aircraft carried the pilot and three passengers.
Sequence of Events
Upon reaching the destination area at approximately 1135, the aircraft flew over part of the neighboring forest before crashing upside down on rugged ground. The three passengers were fatally injured on impact. The pilot survived and was later evacuated to Sept-Îles by Canadian Forces Search and Rescue services at approximately 0400 on 29 September 2002.
Official Finding
The investigation determined a probable cause: Because of the geographic and weather conditions, the pilot probably had trouble judging his horizontal and vertical distance with respect to the mountain, and the aircraft crashed.