Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

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:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KG430

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Summerside - Summerside

MSN:

12465

YOM:

1944

Location:

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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:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

107

YOM:

1947

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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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

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

37266

Location:

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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:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KG317

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

12314

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crash landed. No casualties.

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

Date & Time: Feb 16, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KJ936

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Snag - Snag

MSN:

14664/26109

YOM:

1944

Location:

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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

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Churchill – Winnipeg

MSN:

CV-363

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

While flying in poor weather conditions, the seaplane encountered severe turbulences, nosed down and crashed near Bigstone Lake, about 435 km northeast of Winnipeg. All 21 occupants were killed, among them 14 civilians.
Crew:
F/O George Walker Lineker,
LAC Garnett Frederick Bull,
F/O Albert George Eden,
Cpl George Robert Mitchell,
F/Lt William Wishart Robson,
F/Lt Francis John Rush,
F/O Daniel Orlande Shumay.

Crash of a Beechcraft CT-128 Expeditor in Serpentine River: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

Operator:

Registration:

1425

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Chatham – Ottawa – Presque Ile

Location:

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Crashed in unknown circumstances in Serpentine River, northwest of New Brunswick while performing a flight from Ottawa to Presque Ile, Maine. All seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Wg Cdr Beverly Beck,
Sq Ldr Frederick William Darnell,
Wg Cdr John Harry Drury.

Crash of an Avro 694 Lincoln B2 in Watson Lake: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Avro 694 Lincoln

Operator:

Registration:

SX924

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Namao - Watson Lake

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

While flying in the vicinity of Watson Lake, on a training mission from Namao Airbase in Edmonton, the crew encountered technical problems with the engines. The captain decided to make an emergency landing and eventually ditched the aircraft into the Watson Lake, near the airport of Watson Lake. A crew member was killed while four others were rescued. The aircraft sank and was lost. It was reported that the aircraft experienced fuel flow problems.