Multiple distractions left the “Before Taxi” checklist unfinished and the propeller start locks still in place as the Bearskin Airlines Fairchild SA227-DC Metro 23 began its takeoff roll at Dryden (Ontario, Canada) Regional Airport. Without directional control, the airplane veered off the right side of the runway and struck a frozen snowbank, seriously injuring one passenger.
The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said, in its final report on the Feb. 24, 2020, event, that the checklist interruption was the first in a series of events that culminated in the runway excursion accident.
The accident occurred at 1610 local time on what would have been the flight crew’s sixth flight of the day ‒ from Dryden to Sioux Lookout Airport, about 70 km (38 nm) to the northeast ‒ with six passengers and two pilots on board.
The crew completed the “Engine …
