Date & Time:
Sep 16, 1946 at 1020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
962
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Minot - Estevan
MSN:
12544
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
Boxtop62
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
18
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
21
Circumstances:
On final approach to Estevan Airport, the captain decided to make a go around for unknown reason. The undercarriage were raised and the aircraft quickly adopted a nose up attitude. Suddenly, it stalled and crashed few hundred yards short of runway threshold. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 21 occupants were killed. All passengers were returning to Estevan after delivering Fairchild PT-19 Cornell planes to the USAAF based in Minot AFB.
Crew (124th Communications Squadron):
F/Lt Harry H. Cowan,
F/Lt James Stewart Lees,
F/Lt Edward Chester Stewart,
F/O Ned Jordan,
F/O William Albert Perry,
F/O Robert James McIntyre,
LAC Vitantes Luke Kirko,
F/O Raymond Avard Brandser,
F/O Max Thomas,
F/O Leonard Edgar Turtle,
F/O Stephen Pond,
F/Lt Stanley Wright Proctor,
F/Lt Louis Eric John Murphy,
F/Lt Morris Crosby Cuthbert,
F/Lt James Pyle Jesse,
F/Lt Clifford Sommerville Coppin,
F/Lt Lawrence Victor Kirsch,
F/Lt William Jacob Louis Weicker,
F/Lt Robert Cowan McRoberts,
F/Lt Joseph Alphonse Camille Bouchard,
F/Lt William Murdock Jackson.
Crew (124th Communications Squadron):
F/Lt Harry H. Cowan,
F/Lt James Stewart Lees,
F/Lt Edward Chester Stewart,
F/O Ned Jordan,
F/O William Albert Perry,
F/O Robert James McIntyre,
LAC Vitantes Luke Kirko,
F/O Raymond Avard Brandser,
F/O Max Thomas,
F/O Leonard Edgar Turtle,
F/O Stephen Pond,
F/Lt Stanley Wright Proctor,
F/Lt Louis Eric John Murphy,
F/Lt Morris Crosby Cuthbert,
F/Lt James Pyle Jesse,
F/Lt Clifford Sommerville Coppin,
F/Lt Lawrence Victor Kirsch,
F/Lt William Jacob Louis Weicker,
F/Lt Robert Cowan McRoberts,
F/Lt Joseph Alphonse Camille Bouchard,
F/Lt William Murdock Jackson.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control was caused by a control lock on the starboard elevator that has not been removed before takeoff from Minot AFB.
