There were no injuries last Wednesday when a de Havilland Beaver owned by Tintina Air Inc. flipped over in a ravine at the end of a remote airstrip.

Investigator John Tavernini of the Transportation Safety Board told the Star today the pilot was flying two hunters into the airstrip northeast of Faro when the accident happened.

The aircraft bounced after touching down.

The pilot attempted to power up to go around for another landing attempt but did not reach enough speed and stalled, Tavernini explained, citing the mandatory accident report filed with his Edmonton office.

He said the Beaver went past the end of the runway into a ravine and flipped over, but nobody was hurt.

The emergency locator transmitter was activated and picked up by the rescue co-ordination centre in either B.C. or Ontario, and the centre notified the safety board, Tavernini said.

He said Tintina had already been called by the pilot when the safety board phoned to notify the company, which was dispatching another aircraft to pick up the pilot.

The Beaver, said the investigator, is a tail dragger – the tail rests on a rear wheel – and tail draggers are typically harder to control on landing.

Tavernini said the Alkan Air de Havilland Otter that crashed on landing in early July while en route to a remote strip with a load of cargo is also a tail dragger, though the report indicates a harder than usual landing was a primary factor.

The Otter received substantial damage, he said.

Tavernini said he was not sure about the extent of damage to Tintina’s Beaver.

Tintina co-owner Dave Sharp said this morning the aircraft can be repaired, though both wings received some dents but the fuselage was OK.

The propellor was also bent, he pointed out.

Sharp said anytime there is a prop-strike, the engine needs to be taken apart to ensure there is no internal damage that could affect performance.

Tintina will likely be flying into the airstrip next week to recover the Beaver with a heavy-lift helicopter, he said.

“It was a low-speed flip-over.”

Sharp said the local pilot is fairly experienced, with more than 2,000 hours of flying time.

The two hunters from Outside stayed behind for their hunt and they were still in there today, he said.