The TSB has completed this investigation. The report was published on 4 May 2021.
Hard landing and aft fuselage strike
Air Inuit Ltd.
de Havilland DHC-8-314 (C-GXAI)
Schefferville Airport, Quebec
The occurrence
On , the de Havilland DHC‑8‑314 aircraft (registration C‑GXAI, serial number 481), operated by Air Inuit Ltd., was conducting scheduled flight AIE820 from Québec/Jean Lesage Airport, Quebec, to Schefferville Airport, Quebec, with 3 crew members and 42 passengers on board. During landing, as the wheels touched down on Runway 35 at 1109 Eastern Standard Time, the aft fuselage struck the runway. After landing, the aircraft taxied to the terminal to disembark the passengers. No one was injured; however, the aircraft sustained major damage. The emergency locator transmitter did not activate.
Media materials
News release
Unstable approach led to 2020 hard landing and rear fuselage strike in Schefferville, Quebec
Read the news release
Investigation information
A20Q0013
Hard landing and aft fuselage strike
Air Inuit Ltd.
de Havilland DHC-8-314 (C-GXAI)
Schefferville Airport, Quebec
Investigator-in-charge
Simon St-Pierre joined the TSB team in 2019, and works as a regional senior investigator (Air) out of the Quebec regional office. Over the course of his career, Mr. St-Pierre has accumulated approximately 4500 hours of flight as pilot on different types of aircraft such as Beech C90A, Cessna 550, Jetstream 31 and multiple floatplanes. Since 2010, he has worked at Transport Canada as a Civil Aviation Safety Inspector and since 2014, he worked as a Technical Team Lead/Flight Operations.
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Class of investigation
This is a class 3 investigation. These investigations analyze a small number of safety issues, and may result in recommendations. Class 3 investigations are generally completed within 450 days. For more information, see the Policy on Occurrence Classification.
TSB investigation process
There are 3 phases to a TSB investigation
- Field phase: a team of investigators examines the occurrence site and wreckage, interviews witnesses and collects pertinent information.
- Examination and analysis phase: the TSB reviews pertinent records, tests components of the wreckage in the lab, determines the sequence of events and identifies safety deficiencies. When safety deficiencies are suspected or confirmed, the TSB advises the appropriate authority without waiting until publication of the final report.
- Report phase: a confidential draft report is approved by the Board and sent to persons and corporations who are directly concerned by the report. They then have the opportunity to dispute or correct information they believe to be incorrect. The Board considers all representations before approving the final report, which is subsequently released to the public.
For more information, see our Investigation process page.
The TSB is an independent agency that investigates air, marine, pipeline, and rail transportation occurrences. Its sole aim is the advancement of transportation safety. It is not the function of the Board to assign fault or determine civil or criminal liability.