Rivers AFB

Operator:

Registration:

6189

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

259

Captain / Total hours on type:

153.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed RCAF Rivers on a navigation exercise. While cruising at night, the twin engine airplane entered a vertical dive and crashed in an open field located 9,6 km northwest of Emerson, Manitoba. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Ian Gordon Taylor, pilot,
Lac Harry Dutton, navigator,
Lac William Henry Symons, navigator,
Sgt Horatio Charles Hamilton Hosford, wireless operator and air gunner.

Probable cause:

Obscure. The pilot possibly momentarily fell asleep, as on previous occasions, and was unable to recover control quickly due to poor visibility and lack of horizon.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Rivers AFB

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1942 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6377

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

174

Captain / Total hours on type:

165.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a training flight. During the exercise, weather conditions deteriorated with an unpredicted storm. In such conditions, the crew decided to return to base but in heavy rain and lightning activities, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field located 10 km northeast of the airbase. The airplane landed in brush and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members escaped with minor injuries.
Crew:
Sgt J. W. Low, pilot,
Sgt A. E. G. Stanton, navigator,
Sgt F. P. Sharpe, navigator,
Sgt R. E. Jeanes, wireless operator.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Basswood

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1942 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6109

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a training flight. During the exercise, weather conditions deteriorated with an unpredicted storm. In such conditions, the crew decided to return to base but in heavy rain and lightning activities, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field located 10 km southwest of Basswood. The airplane belly landed and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members escaped uninjured.
Crew:
P/O D. C. Maxwell, pilot,
Sgt W. M. Reid, navigator,
Sgt J. A. R. Langlois, navigator,
L;ac A. C. Harrison, wireless operator.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Rivers AFB

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1942 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6083

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

286

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a training flight. During the exercise, weather conditions deteriorated with an unpredicted storm. In such conditions, the crew decided to return to base but in heavy rain and lightning activities, the pilot made an emergency landing in a field located 10 km east of the airbase. After touchdown, the airplane hit a rock pile and was damaged beyond repair. All four crew members were injured.
Crew:
Sgt J. Ross, pilot,
Sgt E. Hopkins, navigator,
Sgt D. G. Goodfellow, navigator,
Lac L. E. Strangward, wireless operator.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Newdale: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 9, 1942 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6069

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Cessna T-50 Bobcat (AT-8/AT-17/UC-78 & Crane)

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

271

Captain / Total hours on type:

54.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a training flight. During the exercise, weather conditions deteriorated with an unpredicted storm. In such conditions, the crew decided to return to base but it is assumed that the pilot, in heavy rain and lightning activities, attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed in a prairie located 12 km south of Newdale. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
P/O Arthur Weatherley Willoughby, pilot,
Sgt John Thomas Carter, navigator,
Sgt Adam John Mazur, navigator,
Sgt Joseph Charles Wilfred Gauthier dit Larouche, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

According to the evidence, the weather which developed was unpredictable. Following to the findings, the court, having regard to all evidences, is of the opinion that no person should be held to blame for the accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna Crane I at Rivers AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 16, 1942 at 1025 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

7826

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

MSN:

1269

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

Captain / Total hours on type:

63.00

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Rivers AFB on a local training flight with other similar airplane. Fifteen minutes after takeoff on their first solo formation flight LAC McRae, then leading, gave signal to change from port echelon to starboard echelon. LAC Gibson in making the change piloted his aircraft 7826 in such a way that it came up immediately in front of the leader, collided and fell out of control with its tail cut off. It crashed in a field near the airport while the second airplane 7791 landed safely. The pilot was killed.
Crew:
LAC H. F. Gibson, pilot.

Probable cause:

Error of judgement due to inexperience on the part of the pilot.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson I in Kisbey

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1941 at 1050 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6450

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

575

Captain / Total hours on type:

90.00

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane departed Rivers AFB on a navigation training exercise. While cruising at an altitude of 11,000 feet, the airplane flew into heavy rain and went into a spin. The pilot recovered control at low altitude but the airplane stalled and crashed in a field located near Kisbey. Two crew members were injured and three others escaped unhurt.
Crew:
Sgt C. K. Gilbert,
F/L R. D. Christie,
Sgt L. J. Skippen,
Sgt J. M. Fraser,
AC1 A. J. Wilson.

Probable cause:

Unauthorized pilot (officer) took over controls from the Sergaent Pilot (Captain) of the airplane. Sgt Gilbert should be absolved of the blame because he was under the impression that F/Lt Christie was a qualified pilot and as a F/Lt had more experience than himself.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson I in Oak Lake: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1941 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6250

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

225

Captain / Total hours on type:

54.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a navigation training exercise. En route, they encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. Too low above the lake, the airplane flew into surface of lake in poor visibility and crashed 35 km southwest of Rivers AFB. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Joseph Goodwin Butcher, pilot,
Sgt William Henry Prest, observer,
Sgt Harry Albert Howarth, observer,
LAC Lloyd Ross Lancaster, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

The pilot did not have enough experience to fly by instruments and tried to fly by 'contact' through a snow flurry. This caused the aircraft to crash into snow on a lake.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I at RCAF Rivers: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1941 at 1900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6016

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: