What happened
During a routine transport mission in northern Saskatchewan, a de Havilland DHC-3 Otter, registration C-FASV, was transporting a five-person crew from a base camp to a work site located near a small lake. The flight was part of a road construction operation, with the aircraft scheduled to return to the site later that afternoon for a pickup.
Upon returning to the lake for the scheduled extraction, the pilot encountered surface conditions consisting of five to six inches of slush over the ice. The ambient temperature was approximately seven degrees Celsius. During the initial takeoff attempt, the aircraft experienced slow acceleration across the slush, prompting the pilot to abort the maneuver. After repositioning the aircraft and adjusting the passenger seating, a second takeoff attempt was initiated.
During this second attempt, the pilot continued the takeoff roll past the point where the previous attempt had been aborted. During the acceleration, the engine speed reportedly dropped by roughly 150 rpm. The aircraft failed to lift off the surface and struck a low shoreline, sliding approximately 300 feet from the edge of the water before coming to a halt. A heavy fire erupted immediately upon impact.
Findings
All occupants successfully evacuated the aircraft before the fire consumed the engine and the main fuselage. There were zero fatalities, though one injury was reported involving minor burns to a passenger during the egress. The primary factor in the accident was the loss of engine power during the takeoff roll on a slippery surface.