De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter crash, Jun 5, 2003, Lake Wi...
De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter accident on June 5, 2003 near Lake Wicksteed, Ontario, Canada with no fatalities. Cause: Ministry SOPs were not followed...
- Date: June 5, 2003
- Aircraft: De Havilland DHC-6 Twin Otter
- Location: Lake Wicksteed, Ontario, Canada
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Approach and landing
- Cause: Ministry SOPs were not followed and the checklist was incomplete, leaving the bomb door armed switch on. The pilot then inadvertently selected the bomb door button instead of the probe switch, so the doors extended into the water and drag and water entry caused the aircraft to nose over.
A Ministry of Natural Resources Twin Otter was scooping water from Lake Wicksteed to supply a forest fire near Hornepayne. After the tanks filled, the pilot retracted the water probes and the aircraft nosed over into the lake and sank, coming to rest inverted on the shallow bottom. The single pilot got clear and was helped ashore by witnesses.