Narrative:
The Twin Otter departed Goose Bay on a medical evacuation flight to St. Anthony. The flight was uneventful and landed in St. Anthony at 15:24. At 16:02, the aircraft departed St. Anthony on a VFR flight back to Goose Bay. On board were the two pilots and the doctor and nurse. Approaching the Goose Bay Airport, weather became marginal, but the crew continued visual flight. The crew likely encountered near zero forward visibility in snow showers and fog; it is probable that they were able to maintain vertical contact with the ground and were confident they could continue flight with visual reference to the ground. The crew may not have been able to see terrain ahead and therefore may not have been able to determine if the aircraft would clear the hills, particularly, when steep hills were encountered. The plane struck a rock outcropping 100 feet below the summit of a 2,050-foot mountain. After bouncing twice, the Twin Otter had come to rest in a small, wooded gully, approximately 350 feet from the initial point of impact.
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Canadian Aviation Safety Board determined that the flight was attempted in mountainous terrain in marginal weather conditions. The aircraft was flown at an altitude which did not provide terrain clearance, and the aircraft struck amountain for undetermined reasons."
accident date: 11-10-1984
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 100
registration: C-FAUS
| Status: | Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
| Date: | Thursday 11 October 1984 |
| Time: | 17:37 |
| Type: |  de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 100 |
| Operator: | Labrador Airways |
| Registration: | C-FAUS |
| MSN: | 34 |
| First flight: | 1967 |
| Total airframe hrs: | 17585 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-20 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | ca 46 km SE of Goose Bay Airport, NL (YYR) ( Canada)
|
| Crash site elevation: | 594 m (1949 feet) amsl |
| Phase: | Approach (APR) |
| Nature: | Ambulance |
| Departure airport: | St. Anthony Airport, NL (YAY/CYAY), Canada |
| Goose Bay Airport, NL (YYR/CYYR), Canada |
The Twin Otter departed Goose Bay on a medical evacuation flight to St. Anthony. The flight was uneventful and landed in St. Anthony at 15:24. At 16:02, the aircraft departed St. Anthony on a VFR flight back to Goose Bay. On board were the two pilots and the doctor and nurse. Approaching the Goose Bay Airport, weather became marginal, but the crew continued visual flight. The crew likely encountered near zero forward visibility in snow showers and fog; it is probable that they were able to maintain vertical contact with the ground and were confident they could continue flight with visual reference to the ground. The crew may not have been able to see terrain ahead and therefore may not have been able to determine if the aircraft would clear the hills, particularly, when steep hills were encountered. The plane struck a rock outcropping 100 feet below the summit of a 2,050-foot mountain. After bouncing twice, the Twin Otter had come to rest in a small, wooded gully, approximately 350 feet from the initial point of impact.
Probable Cause:
PROBABLE CAUSE: "The Canadian Aviation Safety Board determined that the flight was attempted in mountainous terrain in marginal weather conditions. The aircraft was flown at an altitude which did not provide terrain clearance, and the aircraft struck amountain for undetermined reasons."
Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain
Photos
accident date: 11-10-1984
type: de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 100
registration: C-FAUS
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from St. Anthony Airport, NL to Goose Bay Airport, NL as the crow flies is 362 km (226 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
Distance from St. Anthony Airport, NL to Goose Bay Airport, NL as the crow flies is 362 km (226 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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