Bamfield (Vancouver Island)

While flying in the vicinity of Bamfield at a relative low altitude, the pilot made a sharp turn when the single engine airplane lost height and crashed into a lake. All three occupants were quickly rescued while the airplane sank and was lost.

The airplane departed Tofino at 1643LT on the last leg of routine cross country exercise with an ETA in Patricia Bay at 17h41. On board were seven passengers and seven crew members. The last recorded communication with the crew was at 1655LT. While cruising at an altitude of 2,800 feet in limited visibility due to clouds, the aircraft collided with trees and crashed in a dense wooded and hilly terrain some 12 km east southeast of Bamfield, in the Somerset Range. The wreckage was found for days later, on July 17, in an isolated area. All 14 occupants were killed.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/O William Edward Davies, pilot,
F/O Robert Joseph Martello, pilot,
F/Sgt Donald William Hope, flight engineer,
F/O Nicholas Maxwell Popovich, navigator,
F/O Harry Alexander Lowe, wireless operator,
W/O Victor Gilbert Crosson, wireless operator,
W/O Joseph Bertrand Presse, wireless operator,
Passengers:
Sgt Pamela Gladys Bennett,
Cpl Norman Marshall Johnson,
Cpl William Hrysko,
Cpl Nora Johnston,
Lac Rraymond Vallentine Kitely,
Lac L. H. Tull,
Law Margaret Mann.