Saint Andrews - Berens River

On August 29, 1999 at 03:32 PM, Saint Andrews - Berens River experienced a crash involving Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain, operated by Sowind Air, with the event recorded near Manitoba Manitoba.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

11 people were known to be on board, 0 fatalities were recorded, 11 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 0.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 10, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. The Piper PA-31-350 Navajo, C-GHMK, departed from St. Andrews, Manitoba, on a visual flight rules charter flight to Berens River. One pilot and ten passengers, including one infant, were on board, and a dog was stowed in the baggage compartment behind the right, rear seat. At approximately 1530 central daylight saving time (CDT), while the aircraft was at an altitude of about 2 500 feet and about 30 nautical miles south of Berens River, the pilot heard a loud sound from the left engine. He saw deformation of the left engine cowling and smoke coming from the engine, and the aircraft yawed to the left. Part of the engine cowling departed in flight. The pilot could not pull the left propeller lever beyond half of its normal travel, nor could he move it into the feather position. He set maximum power on the right engine, but the aircraft did not maintain altitude. The pilot advised company dispatch over the radio that he would attempt a forced landing, then force landed in a mossy marsh area. Everyone on board, including the dog, deplaned. Five of the passengers sustained minor injuries during the evacuation. A fire ensued, completely destroying the aircraft except for the empennage aft of the horizontal stabilizers.

Aircraft reference details include registration C-GHMK, MSN 31-7952120, year of manufacture 1979.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.9959°, -98.7987°.