What happened
On a scheduled service from Port Hardy to Vancouver, an aircraft carrying fifteen passengers and three crew members departed at approximately 14:11 local time. Shortly after takeoff, the pilot notified air traffic control of a malfunction involving the elevator controls, necessitating an immediate return to the airport.
During the subsequent approach to runway 15, the aircraft touched down and bounced. Following this contact, the plane entered an unusually steep climb, during which it appeared that maximum engine power was being utilized. At the peak of this ascent, the aircraft experienced a stall and descended in a nose-down orientation. The right wing impacted the ground first, leading to an immediate post-crash fire. Out of the eighteen people on board, there were four survivors, consisting of the flight attendant and three passengers.
Findings
Investigations determined that the accident was caused by a partially locked elevator, which resulted in the loss of control during the landing attempt.