История авиакомпании Bearskin Airlines: от основания до современности.

Canadian regional airline

The airline was established in 1963 by bush pilot Otto John Hegland and began operations in July 1963 from its base at Big Trout Lake, home of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation. However, the airline was named after Bearskin Lake, home of the Bearskin Lake First Nation (where Hegland had a general store). It started by providing only charter services to the remote First Nations reserves in northern Ontario, using bush planes equipped with floats in the summer and skis in the winter. In 1977, it began its first regular scheduled flights between Big Trout Lake and Sioux Lookout. This was followed by Toronto Buttonville and Sudbury route with three daily roundtrips in April 2003. In July 2003, it sold its routes and assets servicing northern First Nations communities to Wasaya Airways for $18 million. Bearskin launched a new route between Ottawa and Waterloo in October 2007. The company indicated that it is refocusing on northwestern and northeastern routes in Northern Ontario. Bearskin is a major provider of flights for Hope Air, a charity that organizes free non emergency medical flights for people in financial need, particularly from remote communities.

May 1, 1995: Flight 362, a Swearingen Metroliner, collided with an Air Sandy Piper Navajo Chieftain while on approach to Sioux Lookout Airport, destroying both aircraft and killing all persons on both aircraft, a total of eight dead. December 4, 1997: Flight 310, a Beechcraft 99 hit the runway at Webequie Airport when it descended too quickly. No injuries were reported but the aircraft was written off. November 10, 2013: A Swearingen Metroliner crashed on approach into Red Lake Airport in Ontario after a flight from Sioux Lookout Airport, killing five of seven people aboard. The crash occurred south of the airfield where the aircraft struck trees and a power line before being destroyed by impact and fire. The Transportation Safety Board of Canada concluded that there was a total failure of the left engine about 152.40 m above ground due to an internal component. This slowed the aircraft and caused it to stall. This led Honeywell, the engine manufacturer, to issue a change to inspection procedures for fuel nozzles. On February 24 2020 a Fairchild SA227 DC Metro 23 aircraft, operated by Perimeter Aviation as Bearskin Airlines Flight 344, crashed about 4:10 p. m. CT at Dryden airport in Ontario. Transportation Safety Board of Canada investigations found pilot error was the result due to an incomplete pre taxi checklist. The aircraft left the runway while taxiing and crashed into a snowbank at speed with left propeller fragments penetrating the aircraft interior and injuring passengers. Multiple passengers were injured but there were no fatalities.