What happened
During the initial climb phase following departure from Quebec-Ancienne Lorette Airport toward Montreal-Dorval Airport, the aircraft experienced a fire in its right engine. Upon recognizing the emergency, the pilot notified air traffic control and received clearance to perform an emergency landing at the departure airfield. While attempting a right-hand turn to return to the runway, the aircraft lost altitude and impacted the ground approximately 1,300 meters before reaching the runway, resulting in a post-crash fire.
The accident resulted in 17 fatalities and 7 serious injuries among the occupants.
Findings
Investigations concluded that the right engine's low pressure impeller failed due to undetected fatigue cracks during maintenance. This failure caused the forward section of the engine to detach from the aircraft. The resulting debris damaged the electronic circuitry responsible for gear selection, preventing the landing gear from being retracted.
The combination of an exposed engine, a lowered cowl, and the extended gear significantly increased aerodynamic drag. Consequently, the aircraft lacked the performance necessary to climb over obstacles or maintain altitude during the turn. Furthermore, the separation of the engine component and the movement of passengers caused the center of gravity to shift beyond its aft limit. As airspeed dropped below the minimum control speed, the pilot lost control, leading to the impact.