Cracked wing assembly blamed for float plane crash that killed 3 - Action News
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Manitoba

Cracked wing assembly blamed for float plane crash that killed 3

A crack in the wing assembly caused a float planeto break up while in flight and crash near Little Grand Rapids in 2019, theTransportation Safety Board of Canada says.

Plane broke apart in air while on approach to destination, TSB report says

This photo, identified as a de Havilland DHC-3T, is from the Blue Water Aviation website. The company owned the de Havilland Otter that crashed near Little Grand Rapids. (http://www.bluewateraviation.ca/aircraft/)

A crack in the wing assembly caused a float planeto break up while in flight and crash near Little Grand Rapids in 2019, theTransportation Safety Board of Canada says.

The pilot and two passengers died in the Oct. 26 crash. It took several days for an RCMP dive team to find the bodies of the three men a 42-year-old passenger, 49-year-old passenger and the 39-year-old pilot.

Police have not named any of the men but the owners of Blue Water Aviation, which owned the plane,identified the pilot as Jonathan Friesen.

The TSB report, released Wednesday, says a fatigue fracture had developed in one of the upper right wing lift strut assemblies of thede Havilland DHC-3 Otter aircraft.

Jonathan Friesen was the pilot of the float plane that crashed. He was one of three men who died. (Blue Water Aviation)

The plane left Bissett Water Aerodrome around 7:45 a.m. on a flight to Little Grand Rapids with the three men and about363 kilograms (800pounds) of freight.

While on approach to land on Family Lake about an hour later, the aircraft's rightwing separated from the fuselage, the report says.

The plane went into a nose dive,hit the water and was destroyed by the impact.

This image from the Transportation Safety Board report shows the wreckage site and final flight path (marked in yellow). (Transportation Safety Board)

It was later determined that the required visual inspections, as prescribed by maintenance manuals, did not identify the types of cracks that could form in the wing lift strut attachment fittings, the report says.

Following the crash, the TSB issued an advisory, requesting Transport Canada work with Viking Air (the company holding certificates for the former de Havilland company'sDHC-3 model)to revise themaintenance manuals. Transport Canada thenissued directive requiring enhanced inspections of DHC-3 wing lift strut assemblies.

Little Grand Rapids is about270 kilometres northeast of Winnipeg.

Corrections

  • A previous version of the story stated Viking Air is the manufacturer of the DHC-3. In fact, the DHC-3 was built by the former de Havilland Aircraft of Canada, and Viking Air now holds the type certificate for the DHC-3.
    Jan 18, 2021 3:31 PM CT