A tragic seaplane crash that claimed the life of a Quebec pilot last spring was caused by a critical maintenance error where control cables were accidentally reversed, according to a new report from Canada's Transportation Safety Board (TSB).
The Fatal Takeoff from the Richelieu River
On May 2, 2025, pilot Olivier Brossard, 58, was attempting to take off from the Richelieu River at the St-Mathias Water Aerodrome, located approximately 25 kilometres east of Montreal. Brossard was flying a De Havilland DHC-2 Mk. I seaplane operated by ETA Aviation and César Camp du Nord Inc., a company specializing in fly-in fishing camps in northern Quebec. He had just retrieved the aircraft from Aviation B.L. Inc., a maintenance organization in St-Mathias-sur-Richelieu, where it had been stored for the winter.
Accompanied by a passenger who was also a pilot, Brossard initiated the takeoff. During a standard maneuver to raise the right wing out of the water, the aircraft reacted opposite to his inputs. The left wing lifted instead. Unaware that the control cables for the ailerons—the wing surfaces that control roll—had been swapped, Brossard turned the control wheel fully to the left in an attempt to correct the roll. This caused the plane to roll sharply to the right and ultimately overturn into the river.
The Maintenance Error That Went Unchecked
The TSB's investigation traced the root cause to maintenance work performed in February and March 2025. A crack was discovered in the control column, requiring the chain linking the control wheel to the aileron cables to be removed for repair.
The report identified a cascade of procedural failures:
- The maintenance technician did not consult the manufacturer's procedures for reinstalling the chain.
- The work was not directly supervised by a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer.
- After reinstallation, the technician failed to verify the directional movement of the ailerons.
- The maintenance engineer, reportedly interrupted during an independent inspection, also missed this critical verification.
This series of oversights meant the reversed aileron cables were not detected. The error also eluded detection during the pilot's pre-flight check before the doomed takeoff.
Aftermath and Safety Recommendations
Following the crash, the injured passenger managed to escape through a window but was unable to rescue Brossard. The pilot was found deceased in the cockpit after the aircraft was recovered later that day.
In response to the tragedy, Aviation B.L. Inc. has implemented new safety measures. The maintenance organization has added an additional independent verification step for any work performed on flight control systems and has enhanced its maintenance training protocols.
The TSB's report underscores the vital importance of rigorous adherence to maintenance procedures and thorough, uninterrupted inspection protocols in aviation. A single, uncorrected error in connecting flight control systems can have catastrophic consequences.
