Comox | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft was on a scheduled cargo flight from Nanaimo, British Columbia, to the civilian terminal on the south side of the military airbase at Comox, British Columbia. The crew members established communication with the Comox tower when they were at about 2000 feet over Hornby Island, 12 nautical miles southeast of Comox, and requested a practice back course/localizer approach to Runway 30, circling for landing on Runway 18. The request was approved and the aircraft continued inbound. When the aircraft was about two miles from the threshold of Runway 30, the crew declared an emergency for an engine fire in the right engine. The tower alerted the airport response teams and requested standard data from the crew concerning the number of people and amount of fuel on board. Less than 30 seconds after the crew first reported the emergency, the aircraft was engulfed in flames. Shortly thereafter, at 0741 Pacific daylight time, the aircraft rolled inverted and struck the ground in a steep, nose-down, left-wing-low attitude. The aircraft broke apart and burned. Both crew members were fatally injured.

Probable cause:

Findings as to Causes and Contributing Factors:
1. At some point after 01 April 1999, a bad gasket (P/N LW-13388) was installed in the accident engine.
2. The requirement of Airworthiness Directive 2002-12-07 (to ensure that old converter plate gaskets were removed and replaced by new parts) was not carried out on the accident engine.
3. The improper oil filter converter plate gasket in the right engine compartment failed, allowing pressurized oil to spray into the engine compartment and ignite on contact with hot turbocharger and exhaust components.
4. The firewall fuel shut-off valve remained in the OPEN position, allowing pressurized fuel to be delivered to the engine-driven fuel pump by the aircraft’s boost pumps.
5. The initial oil-fed fire generated considerable heat, which melted the casing of the engine-driven fuel pump, allowing pressurized fuel to intensify the fire.
6. The flames breached the main fuel tank, inboard of the engine, causing the aircraft to become engulfed in flames.
Findings as to Risk:
1. Inappropriate converter plate gaskets, identified by part number LW-13388, are known to have remained in the aviation system after the date of the terminating action required by Airworthiness Directive (AD) 2002-12-07.
2. Compliance with the full requirements of AD 2002-12-07 is not always being accomplished with respect to vibro-peening and proper gluing procedures.

Final Report:

Crash of a Britten-Norman BN-2A-7 Islander in Blinkhorn Point: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1979

Type of aircraft:

Britten-Norman Islander

Operator:

Registration:

C-FZVV

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Comox - Port Hardy

MSN:

238

YOM:

1971

Location:

Blinkhorn Point (Victoria Island)

British Columbia

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Comox to Port Hardy, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to thick fog. The twin engine airplane struck tree tops and crashed on hilly terrain located in Blinkhorn Point, Victoria Island. Four passengers were killed while five other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Grumman CS-2F-3 Tracker on Vancouver Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1973

Type of aircraft:

Grumman S-2 Tracker

Operator:

Registration:

12170

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Comox - Comox

MSN:

DH69

YOM:

1966

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Comox on a SAR mission after a Stinson 108 was missing. At 1800LT, the crew informed ground he was returning to his base when the contact was interrupted few minutes later. The wreckage was found on Vancouver Island. Two crew members were rescued while two others were killed.

Crash of a Grumman CSR-110 Albatross near Hope Slide: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Grumman HU-16 (SA-16) Albatross

Operator:

Registration:

9302

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Comox - Williams Lake

MSN:

G-450

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Comox Airbase on a training flight to Williams Lake. While cruising in limited visibility due to foggy conditions, the seaplane struck the slope of a mountain located about 10 miles east of Hope Slide. The aircraft was destroyed and while the f/o Bob Reid survived, all five other occupants were killed. More info on https://www.notaries.bc.ca/resources/scrivener/fall2004/walkdownthemountains-50.pdf
1st Lt Pete Semak, †
1st Lt Phil Montgomery, †
F/O Chris Cormier, †
F/O Bob Reid,
Lac Bob MacNaughton. †
Passenger:
James Braiden. †

Crash of a Curtiss C-46 Commando in Port Hardy

Date & Time: Jan 29, 1960 at 1758 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

CF-PWD

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Port Hardy – Comox

MSN:

2940

YOM:

1945

Flight number:

PW104

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after his departure from Port Hardy, the pilot informed ATC that the right engine failed and obtained the permission to return for a safe landing. To avoid any stall, the left engine power was increased to its maximum and the crew continued the descent in marginal weather conditions. The airplane landed at high speed and was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and eventually crashed against trees in a swampy area. All 51 occupants were evacuated while the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

The right engine failed because of a fatigue fracture of the reduction drive ring gear necessitating feathering of the propeller. Due to the presence of a fog bank, a steep approach was necessary with result that the landing was made at a higher than normal airspeed which, coupled with reduced braking action on the wet runway, caused the aircraft to overrun the landing area.

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson V in Halfmoon Bay: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 5, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

CF-FGM

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Vancouver – Comox

MSN:

MDF-248

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 1,800 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in Halfmoon Bay. The wreckage was spotted by the crew of a RCAF helicopter three days later. A day later, on December 9, rescuers arrived on site. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Comox: 8 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

KB940

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Vancouver – Comox

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During an instrument approach to Comox Airbase, while flying in poor weather conditions, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a swampy area. All seven passengers were killed while both pilots were injured. It was later confirmed by the RCAF that the Lancaster was scheduled on this flight to replace a Canso that suffered an engine failure earlier that day.
Crew:
F/O Ruff F. Johnson, pilot,
F/O Monte J. Wright, copilot,
F/O Joseph Frederick Doucette, navigator, †
Cpl George Stanley Fletcher, flight engineer. †
Passengers:
F/Sgt Joseph Leo Laurier Maynard, †
A1c Vernon Joseph McIntyre, †
Cpl Freeman Archibald McKay, †
A1c Wayne Frederick Smith, †
A1c Roy Howard Walsh, †
Malcolm G. McLeod. †

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK Skytrain in Blairmore: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 19, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FL636

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Comox – Winnipeg – Greenwood

MSN:

12063

YOM:

1943

Location:

Alberta

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from RCAF Comox to Greenwood Airfield, Nova Scotia, with an intermediate stop in Winnipeg. While cruising by night and in poor weather conditions, the crew informed ground about his position vertical to Cranbrook at 0428LT. Shortly later, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Ptolemy (2,813 meters high). The wreckage was reached by rescuers five days later and all seven crew members have been killed.