What happened
On the evening of the accident, an Air Tindi Ltd. de Havilland DHC-3T (Turbo) Otter, registered as C-FXUY, departed from the Air Tindi dock in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories. The aircraft was configured for a charter service to Blachford Lake, carrying two crew members, seven passengers, and 840 pounds of cargo. Prior to departure, the pilot completed all necessary safety briefings regarding emergency exits and life preservers.
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft reached an airspeed of approximately 55 mph, which was below the standard takeoff velocity of 60 mph. As the aircraft attempted to climb, the pilot encountered a significant pitch-up tendency. Attempts to correct this by applying forward pressure to the control column were unsuccessful. Despite the pilot adjusting the nose trim to a forward position, the aircraft continued to pitch upward. This resulted in an aerodynamic stall at an altitude of roughly 50 feet above the water, accompanied by a drop of the left wing.
The aircraft subsequently impacted the surface of East Bay in a nose-down attitude with a 45-degree left bank. The force of the impact caused the left float and the left wing to separate from the fuselage, leaving the aircraft resting on its left side. Although the aircraft sustained substantial damage, the crew successfully evacuated all passengers before the vessel sank. Local boaters arrived on the scene to assist with the rescue operations. There were no serious injuries reported among the passengers or crew.
Findings
- The aircraft became airborne at a speed lower than the required takeoff velocity.
- The flight controls failed to respond to forward pressure or nose-down trim adjustments, leading to an unrecoverable pitch-up and subsequent stall.