Date:	Monday 27 November 2023
Time:	07:39
Type:	Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Marquise
Owner/operator:	Thunder Airlines Limited
Registration:	C-GYUA
MSN:	1553 S.A.
Year of manufacture:	1982
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Substantial
Category:	Accident
Location:	Wawa Municipal Airport (CYXZ/YXZ), Wawa, ON -   Canada
Phase:	Landing
Nature:	Ambulance
Departure airport:	Thunder Bay Airport, ON (YQT/CYQT)
Destination airport:	Wawa Airport, ON (YXZ/CYXZ)
Investigating agency:	TSB
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The aircraft lost control and veered off the runway while landing on the snow-covered runway 03 at the Wawa Municipal Airport (CYXZ/YXZ), Wawa, Ontario. It slid down into the drainage area beside the runway.
The three occupants were not injured.

As part of the pre-flight preparations, one of the flight crew members contacted CYXZ at 05:49 to check the runway conditions and spoke with an aerodrome employee who was on duty for after-hour inquiries. During the call, the flight crew member learned of ongoing light snowfall and understood that the runway would be plowed by about 07:30.
At approximately 06:53, during the hours of darkness, the aircraft departed CYQT for CYXZ with 2 flight crew members and a paramedic on board. The cruise portion of the flight was uneventful. The flight crew maintained radio contact with air traffic control (ATC) and received clearance for the approach to CYXZ. At about 07:26, ATC instructed the flight crew to switch to the Wawa aerodrome traffic frequency (ATF).

Between 07:15 and 07:30, aerodrome staff, including the employee to whom the flight crew member had spoken and a trainee, arrived at CYXZ. An ambulance carrying the patient who would be transferred also arrived at the aerodrome in that time.

It had snowed overnight, and aerodrome staff were aware of the potential arrival of flight THU890, but had not yet plowed the runway. The staff began their morning duties, which included preparing the snow removal vehicles to clear the runway. There was no radio communication between aerodrome staff and the occurrence flight crew.

The approach to CYXZ occurred during civil twilight, before sunrise. The flight crew activated the runway lights using the aircraft radio control of aerodrome lighting system and performed the RNAV (GNSS) approach to Runway 03. They visually spotted the runway when they were about 10 nautical miles away on final approach.

As the aircraft approached the runway, the flight crew had a clear view of the runway lights and saw that the runway was covered in snow. The aircraft touched down on Runway 03 at 07:39, and shortly after, it suddenly began sliding to the right. The flight crew attempted to correct this using rudder pedals, as well as differential propeller and power control, but were unsuccessful. The aircraft rotated almost 180° before sliding off the runway’s right side.

The aircraft continued sliding sideways off the runway while facing the opposite direction of landing and came to rest on its left side in a drainage ditch, about 78 feet from the runway’s edge. The aircraft was extensively damaged; the right engine propeller blades penetrated the cabin before the engines were shut down.

Weather reported about the accident time (c 1240Z):
CYXZ 271300Z 30006KT 270V330 9SM -SN SCT013 OVC026 M07/M09 A2952 RMK SF4NS4 SLP014
CYXZ 271241Z 31008KT 270V340 3SM -SN SCT013 OVC025 M06/M08 A2951 RMK SF4ST4 SLP012
CYXZ 271200Z 24004KT 200V320 1SM -SN FEW008 SCT017 BKN022 OVC041 M05/M07 A2949 RMK SF1SF2NS4NS1 SF TR SLP004

https://www.snnewswatch.com/local-news/investigators-to-probe-plane-crash-at-wawa-airport-7888518
https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-content/investigators-head-to-scene-of-plane-crash-in-wawa-ont-1.20756694
https://www.flightaware.com/live/flight/THU890/history/20231127/1140Z/CYQT/CYXZ
https://www.flightradar24.com/data/flights/thu890#32fc1dd1

Wawa Municipal Airport 11/30/2023

Photo: TSB Canada

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
27-Nov-2023 20:52	Captain Adam	Added
28-Nov-2023 07:25	harro	Updated [Date, Registration, Cn, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source]
28-Nov-2023 07:28	harro	Updated [Cn, Other fatalities, Narrative]
30-Nov-2023 20:52	Anon.	Updated [Photo]
08-Dec-2023 20:46	Anon.	Updated [Narrative]
14-Dec-2023 17:00	harro	Updated [Other fatalities, Narrative]
07-Mar-2024 15:39	ASN	Updated [Time, Narrative, Accident report, Photo]