Passengers 5 Survivors 0 Date 29 March 2016 Total fatalities 7 (all) Passenger count 5 | Crew 2 Aircraft type Mitsubishi MU-2B-60 Operator Aero Teknic Survivor 0 | |
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Summary Collision with terrain on approach Site Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, Canada Location Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec Similar 2016 Ecuadorian Army Ara, 2016 Silk Way Airlines A, 2016 True Aviation An‑26 cra, West Air Sweden Flight 294, 2016 Sunbird Aviation c | ||
On 29 March 2016, a Mitsubishi MU-2 operated by Aero Teknic, a Canadian aircraft maintenance company, crashed on approach to Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, killing former Canadian politician Jean Lapierre, several members of his family, and the two pilots. Lapierre was flying to his father's funeral with his wife and three siblings. While one man survived the crash, he died of a heart attack after being pulled from the wreckage.
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Accident
Before departure, Jean Lapierre mentioned that he was concerned about flying during bad weather. The aircraft left Montreal Saint-Hubert Longueuil Airport in St-Hubert, Quebec at 0931 Eastern Daylight Time and was destined for the Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, on Havre aux Maisons island in the Magdalen Islands, also in Quebec. A little over two hours later (1240 Atlantic Daylight Time), the aircraft collided with terrain in Les Îles-de-la-Madeleine, Quebec, about 2 km from Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport, the flight's intended destination.
At the time of the accident, there was light rain and mist. The visibility was 4 kilometres with a cloud ceiling of 61 metres. The air temperature was 0°C with east-northeast winds at 37 kilometres per hour, gusting to 56 kilometres per hour. The aircraft had been cleared to land on Îles-de-la-Madeleine's Runway 07 prior to the crash.
Investigation
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) opened an investigation and sent a group of investigators to the site.
Preliminary observations by the investigators indicated that the aircraft was in a slightly left-wing-low-and-nose-high attitude on impact. The wreckage was contained in a field 150 metres square about two kilometres southwest of Îles-de-la-Madeleine Airport; the aircraft had hit the ground and slid for 91 metres before coming to a stop. Examination of the wreckage showed the engines were running until the impact with the ground. The MU-2 was not fitted with flight recorders (which are not required for light aircraft), but a different type of onboard recording device was installed and it appeared to be intact. The wreckage was removed from the crash site and transported to the TSB's laboratory in Ottawa on April 6. The investigation is ongoing. The U.S. National Transportation Safety Board sent a representative to the American-built plane's crash site. Mitsubishi also sent investigators to the site.
After the crash one air operations consultant stated that a Mitsubishi MU-2 is "is not an airplane that is made to fly in our weather conditions." At least 330 people have died in accidents involving the Mitsubishi MU-2B aircraft since its introduction the 1960s.
Victims
The victims include the two pilots, Captain Pascal Gosselin and co-pilot Fabrice Labourel. Jean Lapierre, his wife, his two brothers and one of his two sisters were also killed.
Jean Lapierre was a former Canadian Federal Member of Parliament and former Minister of Transport in Prime Minister Paul Martin's cabinet. He was Paul Martin's Quebec lieutenant during Martin's time as Prime Minister, and a member of the Liberal party. Lapierre eventually became a well-known Quebec broadcaster and talk-show host.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, former Prime Minister Paul Martin, and Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre all expressed their sadness at Lapierre's death. The funeral of Lapierre and his wife was held on April 16 and was attended by the current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife.