What happened
A de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter was engaged in a transport mission involving the movement of diamond drilling equipment from Pelly Crossing Airport to a location approximately 45 miles east. The aircraft was carrying 2,300 pounds of gear along with one passenger and the pilot. At the time of departure, the total weight of the aircraft, including fuel and payload, remained slightly below the maximum allowable limit of 8,000 pounds.
During the departure from the gravel runway at Pelly Crossing, which sits at an elevation of 1,870 feet in a mountainous region, the pilot utilized a reduced power setting. Shortly after becoming airborne, the pilot retracted the flaps to the full-up position. Following this maneuver, the aircraft began to lose altitude and drifted toward the trees located at the end of the runway.
In an attempt to recover, the pilot applied maximum power; however, as the plane continued to descend into the treeline, the throttle was closed. The impact with the trees triggered a post-crash fire that completely destroyed the airframe. While both the pilot and the passenger managed to escape the wreckage, they both sustained serious injuries including significant burns.
Findings
The accident was driven by the combination of using insufficient power during takeoff and the premature retraction of flaps before the aircraft had achieved a safe airspeed and altitude.