Shearwater

The crew (one instructor and three pilots under training) departed Shearwater Airport on a local training mission. The crew decided to perform a flapless landing but the aircraft arrived too high and to correct the situation, the pilot-in-command nosed down when the aircraft landed very hard and bounced. The crew initiated a go-around procedure and decided to follow a holding pattern after being informed by ATC based in the tower that the right main gear seems to be damaged. About 40 minutes later, the right main gear fell away. The right engine then lost power and a fire erupted in the right wheel well. The crew declared an emergency and was cleared to return to Shearwater Airport. Upon landing, the aircraft sank on its right side then rolled for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All four occupants escaped uninjured before an explosion occurred in the central fuel tank.

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Bayswater while completing a local training mission out from Shearwater AFB. Both occupants were killed.

The aircraft had been chartered to carry a group of Canadian and American fishery engineers on a tour of fishery installations and projects in British Colombia. Two similar aircraft were used, each carrying 16 passengers. The proposed flight was to go from Campbell River to various points and then back to Vancouver the same day. After refueling at Shearwater, the aircraft was flown at a low altitude and through marginal weather conditions to the Atnarko River counting station. There the pilot, on request of the tour director, circled the aircraft within the confines of a narrow valley at an altitude of approximately 500 feet above the terrain. After the third orbit of the area, he initiated a climb in a northeasterly direction along the northern slope, paralleling the contours of the valley. On reaching an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet, he turned further to the left to follow a creek while continuing his climb directly toward a ridge located at the 6,000 feet elevation. At approximately 4,300 feet, the pilot realized the aircraft could not outclimb the gradient of the terrain. He attempted to turn to the left to reverse his course. As he banked the aircraft, it began to shudder as though it was entering a stall. He leveled the wings and at almost the same instant the undercarriage began striking trees. The aircraft struck the tree-covered slope with the undercarriage absorbing the majority of the impact forces. During the impact, the tail section aft of the cabin area and the right wing separated from the fuselage. The remainder of the fuselage came to rest in a comparatively level attitude allowing the crew and passengers to evacuate the wreckage. One passenger succumbed to his injuries approximately four hours after the impact, the others survived. There was no survival gear and no emergency signalling equipment on the aircraft. The copilot placed the ELT (Emergency Locator Transmitter) on the top of the wreckage and activated it manually; it failed to operate due to impact damage.

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Sheet Harbour while on a maritime patrol flight out from Shearwater AFB. All four crew members were killed.

The crew was briefing at 0500 hrs, started engines at 0540 and started the takeoff run at 0552. The aircraft take off weight was 33,426 lbs which was near the maximum allowable takeoff weight of 34,500. The aircraft became airborne after an abnormally long run and circled the area while climbing to 700’. As the direct route to the patrol area, Seaforth Channel, was closed by weather PO Joseph headed south via the west side of Lama Passage. The ceiling lowered so he descended to stay under the cloud. Suddenly the fog closed in and Joseph turned the aircraft to the left attempting to return to Base on a reciprocal course. His airspeed was 120 knots but altitude could not be maintained in the 35 degree turn like he used to do in a Stranraer. The aircraft was leveled off after turning through 120 degrees as they were getting close to the water. The aircraft was put into a steep climbing position at full power. They had started climbing in the patchy fog when the pilot saw a wooded ridge. They increased the rate of climb and the speed dropped to 70 knots and was down to 50 knots by the time they mushed into the 700’ mark on an 800’ ridge. On impact the a/c caught fire. They had been airborne a total of five minutes.
Crew:
P/O J. A. Joseph, pilot,
F/Sgt K. L. Brown, copilot,
P/O J. L. Jones, navigator,
F/O R. B. Shirra, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt H. A. S. Rawlinson, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt E. A. Kershsaw,
Sgt J. A. Cowman, flight engineer, †
LAC W. J. Johnston, flight engineer.
Source: http://www.101nisquadron.org/?page_id=1539

When the tail came up on takeoff, the starboard wing went down. 200 yards short of the end of the runway, the pilot closed the throttles and uses brake. At this time, the aircraft was travelling at a speed of 60-70 knots. The aircraft hit a ditch with its port wing that was crumpled and came to rest, bursting into flames. The fire extinguisher was used with no effect. All four crew members evacuated safely, among them two were slightly injured. The aircraft blew up.
Crew:
Sgt D. F. Quirt, pilot,
Sgt D. E. McInnis, navigator,
LAC G. C. Merrill, wireless operator,
Sgt H. F. Taylor, air gunner.