On September 25, 1975, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration CF-ECY) operated by Laurentian Air Services was involved in an aviation accident near La Grande-Rivière, Canada during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck a snowdrift during the landing roll, causing the fuselage to break into two sections. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
A cargo flight carrying fuel drums for a hydroelectric construction project ended in an aircraft breakup after striking a snowdrift upon landing.
What happened
A cargo operation involving the transport of supplies to a hydroelectric power station construction site resulted in an accident at La Grande-Rivière Airport. The aircraft was tasked with delivering 15 drums of fuel intended for workers at the La Grande River project.
Upon completing the landing phase, the aircraft made contact with a snowdrift on the runway. This impact caused the plane to lose control, leading to a sequence of events that resulted in the airframe breaking into two separate pieces. While the accident caused significant damage to the plane, there were no injuries reported among the two pilots on board.
Findings
The primary factor in the loss of the aircraft was the impact with a snowdrift immediately following touchdown, which compromised the structural integrity of the airframe.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck a snowdrift during the landing roll, causing the fuselage to break into two sections.