Accident Details
On the day of the accident, a floatplane departed from the Fish Egg Inlet logging camp, approximately 56 nautical miles north of Port Hardy, British Columbia, for a 16-nautical-mile visual flight rules flight to Pruth Bay. This leg followed an earlier departure from Port Hardy. The first officer, seated in the left pilot seat and handling the controls, taxied the aircraft a short distance from the dock and initiated takeoff. The captain occupied the right pilot seat. As the aircraft climbed through 100 feet and the flaps were retracting, the aircraft pitched up violently and stalled. The pilots were unable to regain control, and the aircraft crashed into water about 100 feet from the shore, sinking immediately. The captain sustained serious injuries but escaped and swam to shore. The first officer and two passengers remained in the aircraft and drowned.
Search and Rescue
When the aircraft failed to arrive at Pruth Bay, personnel from Pacific Coastal Airlines notified the Rescue Coordination Centre and began their own search. At approximately 1430 Pacific daylight saving time, a search pilot spotted debris in the water near the logging camp. He landed to investigate, found the captain on the shore, and transported him to Port Hardy hospital. The accident occurred during daylight hours at approximately 1148 PDT at latitude 51°36'N and longitude 127°41'W. There were no witnesses other than the captain.
Investigation Findings and Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the down elevator control cable failed at station 376 due to corrosion. As a result, the pilot lost control of the aircraft. The corrosion was not detected by maintenance personnel during the aircraft's last cable inspection.