La Grande - Lac Eau Claire

On July 24, 2010 at 10:53 AM, La Grande - Lac Eau Claire experienced a crash involving De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver, operated by Nordair Québec 2000, with the event recorded near La Grande-Rivière Quebec.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

5 people were known to be on board, 2 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 40.0%.

Crew on board: 1, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is other causes. At approximately 1053 Eastern Daylight Time, de Havilland DHC-2 Mk. 1 amphibious floatplane (registration C-FGYK, serial number 123), operated by Nordair Québec 2000 Inc., took off from runway 31 at La Grande-Rivière Airport, Quebec, for a visual flight rules flight to l’Eau Claire Lake, Quebec, about 190 nautical miles to the north. The take-off run was longer than usual. The aircraft became airborne but was unable to gain altitude. At the runway end, at approximately 50 feet above ground level, the aircraft pitched up and banked left. It then nosed down and crashed in a small shallow lake. The pilot and 1 front-seat passenger were fatally injured and the 3 rear-seat passengers sustained serious injuries. The aircraft broke up on impact, and the forward part of the cockpit was partly submerged. The emergency locator transmitter activated on impact.

Aircraft reference details include registration C-FGYK, MSN 123, year of manufacture 1951.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 48.3962°, -64.4912°.