Description

On 18 June 1998, the crew of a Swearingen SA226-TC (C-GQAL) being operated by Propair on a scheduled passenger flight from Montreal to Peterborough requested and received approval for a daylight air turnback because of a hydraulic problem. During descent, they advised that they had shut down the left engine because it was on fire and had now decided to divert to Mirabel. During final approach at Mirabel during which Visual Meteorological Conditions (VMC) was regained, they advised ATC that the left engine was again on fire. As the aircraft came over the runway, the left wing broke upwards and the fuselage pivoted left and struck the ground where the effects of the impact and a cabin fire destroyed the aircraft and fatally injured all 11 occupants.

Investigation

An Investigation was carried out by the Canadian TSB. The 30 minute Cockpit Voice Recorder (CVR) was recovered; the aircraft was not fitted with a Flight Data Recorder (FDR) nor was it required to be.

It was noted that the 35 year-old Captain was Propair's Chief Pilot and that 4200 hours of his 6515 hours total flying time had been accumulated on the accident aircraft type. The First Officer, also 35 years old, had just joined the airline and was still undergoing line training having accumulated 93 hours on type out of a total flying time of 2730 hours.