ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-4T Caribou N400NC Gimli Airport, MB (YGM)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 27 August 1992
Time:10:20
Type:Silhouette image of generic DHC4 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
de Havilland Canada DHC-4T Caribou
Operator:NewCal Aviation
Registration: N400NC
MSN: 240
First flight: 1965
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67R
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 0
Total:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Gimli Airport, MB (YGM) (   Canada)
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Test
Departure airport:Gimli Airport, MB (YGM/GYGM), Canada
Destination airport:Gimli Airport, MB (YGM/GYGM), Canada
Narrative:
The aircraft had just taken off on an experimental flight when it entered a gradually steepening climb. During the climb the aircraft rolled slowly to the right and, at approximately 200 feet above ground level (agl), it entered a steep nose-down, right-wing-low attitude and crashed. Upon impact, the on-board fuel ignited and the majority of the aircraft wreckage was destroyed by fire. The three crew members aboard the aircraft were fatally injured.

The Caribou was the initial aircraft of a modification project by NewCal Aviation that involved the removal of the original Pratt & Whitney R-2000-7M2 piston engines and the installation of Pratt & Whitney PT6A-67R turbo-prop engines and associated equipment.
The first flight tests of the modified aircraft began on 16 November 1991. The occurrence flight was intended to be the first of several trips designed to flight-check the fuel and hydraulic systems.

Probable Cause:

Causes:
The gust lock system was not fully disengaged prior to flight and one or more of the gust locking pins became re-engaged for undetermined reasons after lift-off. It is unlikely that a control check had been completed prior to take-off and, once airborne, the crew were unable to disengage the gust lock mechanism before losing control of the aircraft.

Accident investigation:

Investigating agency: TSB Canada
Status: Investigation completed
Accident number: A92C0154
Download report: Final report

Classification:
Locked rudders/ailerons/gustlock
Loss of control

Sources:
» Flight International 9-15 September 1992 (p.35)
» ICAO Adrep Summary 6/94 (#79)
» Scramble 160


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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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