ASN Aircraft accident de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300 C-GTLA Lansdowne House Airport, ON (YLH)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Wednesday 23 November 1983
Type:Silhouette image of generic DHC6 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter 300
Operator:Austin Airways
Registration: C-GTLA
MSN: 632
First flight: 1979
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-27
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 5
Total:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 7
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:0,4 km (0.3 mls) from Lansdowne House Airport, ON (YLH) (   Canada)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Sandy Lake Airport, ON (ZSJ/CZSJ), Canada
Destination airport:Lansdowne House Airport, ON (YLH/CYLH), Canada
Narrative:
A DHC-6 Twin Otter passenger plane, operated by Austin Airways, was damaged beyond repair in an accident near Lansdowne House Airport, ON (YLH).
There were 2 crew and 5 passengers on board of which 4 passengers were asphyxiated in the post crash fire. The 1 surviving passenger suffered serious injuries and the crew escaped with minor or no injuries.
The airplane operated on a domestic flight from Sandy Lake Airport, ON (ZSJ). Visibility at Lansdowne House was poor due to heavy snow snowfall
After executing an overshoot, the captain flew a second circuit without losing sight of the airfield. The aircraft turned toward the runway. The pilot called 'runway in sight' and shortly thereafter, the co-pilot noticed the radio altimeter pass through 200 feet. Moments before impact, the captain reported to the 1st officer that he was encountering whiteout conditions and moved to advance the power levers.
The aircraft was in line with the runway when it struck the snow-covered ice surface of the lake, about 1200 feet short of the runway threshold. The nose gear assembly was broken off at first impact. The aircraft then slid and rotated 180 degrees counter clockwise, struck large rocks on the shore and stopped 600 feet short of the runway.
The rear spars of each wing were separated from the fuselage; the fuel tanks were ruptured and the fuel lines were broken. Fire broke out on impact.

Probable Cause:

The final report did not contain a Probable Cause statement.

Classification:

Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Ground

Sources:
» CASB Final Report
» The Montreal Gazette - Nov 24, 1983


Follow-up / safety actions

CASB issued 4 Safety Recommendations

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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 Sandy Lake Airport, ON to Lansdowne House Airport, ON as the crow flies is 375 km (234 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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