What happened
A charter flight operating near Goose Bay departed from Otter Creek, destined for a fishing lodge, with one pilot and three passengers on board. During the initial climb phase, the pilot experienced a sudden change in flight attitude, noting that the aircraft pitched forward and then upward before transitioning into an unrecoverable nose-down descent. The pilot indicated that the aircraft did not show typical signs of an aerodynamic stall during this sequence.
The de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter struck the water with significant force. The impact caused the float supports to fail structurally and resulted in widespread damage to the fuselage. A nearby medevac flight, operating as Lab Air 911, observed the accident and alerted emergency services. All four occupants were successfully recovered by boat, though the aircraft subsequently sank in water measuring 55 feet deep.
Findings
While the aircraft did not exhibit the flight characteristics of a standard aerodynamic stall, the pilot reported an uncontrolled descent following an irregular pitching motion.