FAILURE TO PROPERLY PRE-FLIGHT BEFORE DEPARTURE

Video of Accident (1.4 mb)

Two test pilots on board, and no one thought to waggle the controls before starting to roll?

It hurts to watch this video, but it's a dramatic reminder that there really are good reasons to do a thorough preflight and to make sure the controls are free. This happened just north of Winnipeg, and the aircraft was the first version with PT-6-67 Turboprops. (Our 'Modernized' Caribou.)

The Canadian DOT concluded that the control locks were still locked when the aircraft took off. You who have flown the Caribou wonder how that could have happened when it is physically impossible to advance the throttles with the lock on but this aircraft was being modified(still Restricted Category) and the throttle quadrant was not properly rigged to accommodate the throttle levers for the turbine engines.

Three people were on board -- two test pilots and an engineer.

Take this thought home and apply it to your cars, lawnmowers, weedeaters, waffle irons, extension cords, etc.