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| Date: | Monday 16 August 2021 |
| Time: | 21:09 |
| Type: |  Rockwell Aero Commander 690B |
| Owner/operator: | MAG Aerospace Canada Corp. |
| Registration: | C-GYLD |
| MSN: | 11426 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1977 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Thunder Bay Airport (CYQT), ON -
 Canada
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Fire fighting |
| Departure airport: | Thunder Bay Airport, ON (YQT/CYQT) |
| Dryden Regional Airport, ON (YHD/CYHD) | |
| Investigating agency: | TSB |
| Confidence Rating: |  Accident investigation report completed and information captured |
A Rockwell Commander 690B aircraft operated by MAG Aerospace Canada as flight BD160, stalled and crashed during a climbing steep turn on takeoff from runway 12 at Thunder Bay (CYQT). The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and a post-impact fire.
The aircraft had been engaged in two bird dog missions to assist the Ontario Ministry of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry with fighting forest fires.
At the end of the day, the pilot refuelled the aircraft at CYQT and was planning to fly the aircraft to the operator’s facility at Dryden Regional Airport, ON (CYHD) for maintenance.
On the two previous departures, the pilot had made low-level steeps turn to the left, coming within approximately 200 feet and 600 feet of the CYQT Control Tower.
Immediately after rotation on the third flight, the aircraft entered a climbing left turn. When it was approximately 45 feet above ground level (AGL), the aircraft entered a rapid roll to the left and struck the surface of runway 07 in an inverted attitude.
Findings as to causes and contributing factors
1. After takeoff from Runway 12 at Thunder Bay Airport, Ontario, as the pilot conducted a rapid, low-level, climbing steep turn, the aircraft entered an accelerated stall that resulted in a loss of control and subsequent collision with the surface of Runway 07 in an inverted attitude.
2. The decision to conduct the rapid, low-level, climbing steep turn was likely influenced by an altered perception of risk from previous similar takeoffs that did not result in any adverse consequences.
Accident investigation:
 |
|
Sources:
https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/plane-fire-at-thunder-bay-airport-4227830
https://archive.liveatc.net/cyqt/CYQT-Gnd-Twr-Aug-17-2021-0130Z.mp3
www.cbc.ca
TSB
History of this aircraft
Other occurrences involving this aircraft
| 25 June 2008 | N9KG | Private | 0 | Baker City, Oregon |  |
sub |
| Gear collapse | ||||||
Location
Media:
Update FATAL PLANE CRASH
— Tom Podolec Aviation (@TomPodolec) August 17, 2021
A Aero Commander 690B twin-engine plane crashed while departing Thunder Bay Airport last night. Pilot was killed. Airport was closed and some flights were diverted or canceled. Transportation Safety Board deploying investigation team. https://t.co/o9dzQ46scZ pic.twitter.com/vWf9KrpLz7
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Aug-2021 04:05 | Iceman 29 | Added |
| 17-Aug-2021 04:11 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Location, Embed code, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 06:03 | harro | Updated [Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Source, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 06:06 | harro | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Phase, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 10:35 | RobertMB | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 10:38 | Aerossurance | Updated [Aircraft type, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 10:58 | gerard57 | Updated [Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 15:31 | gerard57 | Updated [Destination airport, Narrative, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 21:22 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 17-Aug-2021 21:22 | Iceman 29 | Updated |
| 17-Aug-2021 21:23 | Iceman 29 | Updated [Embed code, ] |
| 18-Aug-2021 02:11 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Departure airport, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 18-Aug-2021 06:29 | Anon. | Updated [Departure airport, Destination airport, Narrative, Category, ] |
| 19-Aug-2021 00:29 | Captain Adam | Updated [Location, Destination airport, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Sep-2021 16:31 | harro | Updated [Source, Embed code, Narrative, ] |
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