What happened
On a flight originating from Port Hardy, a second leg began as an aircraft departed from the Fish Egg Inlet logging camp, situated 56 nautical miles north of Port and Hardy, British Columbia. The flight was intended to be a 16 nm visual flight rules (VFR) trip to Pruth Bay. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was being operated by Pacific Coastal Airlines with the first officer at the controls and the captain in the right seat.
Shortly after takeoff, as the aircraft climbed through 100 feet and the flaps were in the process of retracting, the plane experienced a violent pitch-up and entered a stall. The crew lost control of the aircraft, which impacted the water approximately 100 feet from the shoreline before sinking. The captain survived the impact with serious injuries and managed to swim to the shore. However, the first officer and two passengers were unable to escape and drowned inside the submerged wreckage.
Following the aircraft's failure to reach Pruth Bay, Pacific Coastal Airlines personnel alerted the Rescue Coordination Centre and initiated search efforts. Later that day, at approximately 1430 PDT, a search pilot located debris in the water near the logging camp. Upon landing to investigate, the pilot discovered the injured captain on the shore and transported him to a hospital in Port Hardy.
Findings
- The accident occurred at approximately 1148 PDT near coordinates 51°36'N and 127°41'W.
- The crash resulted in three fatalities and one injury.
- The primary factor in the loss of control was a violent pitch-up and stall occurring during the transition of the flaps during the initial climb.