Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Winnipeg - Winnipeg

MSN:

A-653

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6000

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Winnipeg Airport at 1100LT with a crew of three on board, two pilot students and one instructor. En route, the weather conditions worsened with fog, low ceiling and wind. While returning to its base and flying at a height of 400 feet, the twin engine aircraft struck one of the tower's steel guy wires which sent the plane crashing into the CBC Tower (570 feet high). Out of control, the aircraft crashed in flames 300 yards away in a snow covered field. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Charles Chow-Leong, instructor,
P/O Peter F. Harvey,
P/O Edward Scanlan.

Crash of a Beechcraft CT-128 Expeditor in Montreal: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1951 at 1015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

HB118

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

5858

YOM:

1943

Location:

Montreal-Saint-Hubert

Quebec

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Saint-Hubert Airport, while in initial climb, the crew did not realize his altitude was insufficient due to low visibility caused by mist and rain falls. The twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the slope of Mt Saint-Bruno located about 8 km northeast of the airport. A passenger was injured while six other occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O Vernon Clifford Murray,
F/O Frederick James Kane.

Crash of a Douglas CC-129 near Saint-Augustin: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 14, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KG430

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Summerside - Summerside

MSN:

12465

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew left Summerside on a training flight to Goose Bay. While approach Goose Bay Airport, the crew circled the tower and radioed his intent to return to Summerside. As the aircraft failed to return to its home base, SAR operations were conducted and the wreckage was found five days later, on May 19, in an isolated area located about 65 km north of Saint-Augustin. The aircraft was destroyed and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Joseph Rodier, pilot,
F/O Owen Foster, copilot,
Cad Frank Smith, navigator,
Cad Gerald Higgins.

Crash of a Canadair C-4GM North Star in Resolute Bay

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Canadair C-4 North Star

Operator:

Registration:

17523

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

107

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll on an icy runway, the four engine aircraft started to swing. The pilot in command ordered 'pull it off' and rotated while the flight engineer misunderstood this message and closed the throttles at same time. The aircraft crashed and was damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries.

Probable cause:

Poor crew coordination and misunderstanding on part of the flight engineer during the takeoff procedure.

Crash of an Avro 683 Lancaster in Alert AFB: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 31, 1950 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 683 Lancaster

Operator:

Registration:

KB965

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

37266

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew from the 405th Squadron Greenwood was engaged in a supply mission to weather scientists based in Alert, NT. While flying at low height to drop the cargo, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion about 500 meters south of the complex. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O J. R. G. Dube,
W/C D. T. French,
F/L L. M. Maclean,
F/O T. D. Martin,
F/O J. E. McCutcheon,
LAC R. L. Sprange,
F/L F. L. Swinton.
Passengers:
Dr. D. W. Kirk,
Charles J. Hubbard from the US Weather Bureau.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the parachute for resupplies being airdropped became entangled on the tail and the elevators of the aircraft. In such conditions, control was lost and the airplane crashed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK Dakota III in Summerside

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KG317

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

12314

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crash landed. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK near Snag

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KJ936

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Snag - Snag

MSN:

14664/26109

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was taking part to a combined exercice with the USAF called 'Sweetbriar' and consisting to drop paratroopers in a deep snow covered region. Just after liftoff from a remote and snow covered terrain located about 8 miles east of Snag, the aircraft stalled, hit trees and eventually crashed in a wooded area located 20 miles from the border with Alaska. All six crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was reported that the pilot had had minimal training on the Dakota on skis, on a hard-packed snow surface north of Edmonton. At the accident site, the surface was 14 inches of snow on top of slush, and he found that the skis seemed to dig when he lifted the tail during takeoff. He therefore ended up taking off in the three-point attitude, inadvertently allowing the nose to pitch up excessively after liftoff, resulting in a stall and subsequent crash.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso A in Bigstone Lake: 21 killed

Date & Time: Aug 21, 1949 at 2330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso)

Operator:

Registration:

11057

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: