Air Saguenay

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

The single engine airplane was chartered by a provider based in Crossroads Lake (near Churchill Falls reservoir) to fly four fisherman and two guides to Mistastin Lake, Labrador. The aircraft was supposed to leave Crossroads Lake at 0700LT but the departure was postponed to 1000LT due to low ceiling. Several attempts to contact the pilot failed during the day and the SAR center based in Trenton was alerted. The wreckage was found few hours later at the bottom of the lake, about a nautical mile from the shore. Three people were found dead while four other occupants, including the pilot, were not found after five days of intensive search. A week later, authorities confirmed all seven occupants died.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

The float-equipped de Havilland DHC-2 Mk. 1 Beaver (registration C-FKRJ, serial number 1210), operated by Air Saguenay (1980) inc., was on a visual flight rules sightseeing flight in the region of Tadoussac, Quebec. At 1104 Eastern Daylight Time, the aircraft took off from its base on Lac Long, Quebec, for a 20-minute flight, with 1 pilot and 5 passengers on board. At 1127, on the return trip, approximately 2.5 nautical miles north-northwest of its destination (7 nautical miles north of Tadoussac), the aircraft stalled in a steep turn. The aircraft descended vertically and struck a rocky outcrop. The aircraft was substantially damaged in the collision with the terrain and was destroyed by the post-impact fire. The 6 occupants received fatal injuries. No emergency locator transmitter signal was captured.

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

The float-equipped de Havilland Beaver DHC-2 Mk.I (registration number C-GAXL, serial number 1032), operated by Air Saguenay (1980) Inc., was flying under visual flight rules from Lac des Quatre to Lac Margane, Quebec, with 1 pilot and 5 passengers on board. A few minutes after take-off, the pilot reported intentions of making a precautionary landing due to adverse weather conditions. At approximately 1117, Eastern Daylight Time, the aircraft hit a mountain, 12 nautical miles west-south-west of the southern part of Lac Péribonka. The aircraft was destroyed and partly consumed by the fire that broke out after the impact. The pilot and 3 passengers were killed; 1 passenger sustained serious injuries and 1 passenger sustained minor injuries. No ELT signal was received.

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

The single engine aircraft departed Lake Cojibo with two passengers, one pilot and a full load of freight, destined for a fishing camp. Weather conditions were good but the OAT was high. After takeoff, the aircraft encountered difficulties to maintain a proper rate of climb due to the high temperature and the weight it was carrying. The pilot entered a valley and while trying to gain height to clear rising terrain, the aircraft struck the top of a mountain and crashed, bursting into flames. All three occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

The pilot departed the Air Saguenay base at Squaw Lake, Schefferville in northern Quebec around 07:00 local on a VFR flight to Desbergères Lake, about 210 miles to the northwest. The float-equipped C-FBSF was carrying six passengers and equipment for hunting caribou. Weather conditions deteriorated 30 minutes into the flight. The pilot entered a narrow valley some 50 miles northwest of Schefferville, then realised he could not clear the mountain peaks because of the lower ceiling in that area. When he tried to turn around to the left he flew into a fog bank. On emerging from the fog he saw the aircraft was going to strike the mountain. He raised the nose to minimize the force of the impact and tried to set the Otter down on the mountain side. The floats slid about 150 feet along the rocky surface, then broke off. The engine struck the ground and was torn off. The engine then rolled under the aircraft and came to rest on the right side of the fuselage. The Otter came to rest on the mountainside at an altitude of 2,650 feet. All passengers had been sitting on the right side of the aircraft and the baggage and equipment was stowed on the left side. The pilot and passengers were able to evacuate the Otter and there were no injuries. As they did so the Otter caught fire and burned for 45 minutes, consuming the fuselage. The wings fell to the ground after the wing supports melted. The fire died out after all flammable material was consumed. When radio contact with the Otter was lost, search aircraft were launched and located the crash site. The occupants were spotted at 11:30 and a rescue helicopter arrived at the site at 14:00 and all were rescued. There was however no rescue for the Otter which had been completely destroyed. Source: http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_9.html