QETE failure and accident investigation team
Video / January 30, 2026
Transcript
My name is Scott Beeston. I've been an accident investigator at QETE for eight years. The purpose of the accident investigation team is to find the root cause of an accident and to be able to provide recommendations to ensure that it doesn't happen again.
The QETE investigation team is truly tri-service. We support aircraft accidents, and we also conduct many investigations into Army and Navy failures and accidents, and when requested, other government agencies such as the Coast Guard and Transport Canada. We sometimes assist the Canadian Forces fire marshal with structure fires.
QETE was asked to assist in the investigation in the explosion and fire at the High Commission of Canada in Nigeria. The explosion took place inside of a generator enclosure which provides power for the High Commission of Canada. A challenge in any fire is the consumption of evidence. It's always very difficult to try to locate evidence that hasn't been consumed by the fire.
What makes QETE investigation team unique is all the support that we have assisting us right under one roof. The items brought back for further analysis from the explosion site were disseminated to different laboratories throughout QETE. Several items were nondestructively tested with X-rays and computerized tomography.
QETE is a unique place, we provide such a wide range of scientific knowledge and experience that's provided to the Canadian Armed Forces and other government agencies. Our investigations are important because the safety of personnel and maintaining our equipment is critical. If we have an investigation on something that injured or killed somebody, we need to make sure that we find out what happened and put items in place to ensure it doesn't happen again.