Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Sona Lake

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1957
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-HFL
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Sona Lake - Goose Bay
MSN:
520
YOM:
1942
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The ‘flying boat’ started her return trip after delivering fuel on Oct. 1, 1957 to an isolated communications site at Sona Lake. Her three-man crew had been watching dusk overtake the vast Labrador wilderness when, suddenly, about 80 kilometers from her destination, both engines began losing power. The port engine rapidly gave out. Distress calls were sent. The pilots desperately tried to nurse his other still serviceable – but fading – engine long enough to reach a large lake he had seen below. The power plant failed, however, and a landing in the trees became inevitable. The big amphibian mushed through treetops, bounced off a marsh, then struggled briefly back into the air until her starboard wing struck a small copse of pines. The aircraft slewed around in a violent about-face the left the shaken but unhurt crew sighting along the path from which they’d come. The crew was reached the following day by a rescue float plane and soon the investigation team arrived to assess the Canso. Her leading edge was chopped by the trees, her hull was wrinkled and her props were bent. The last ground loop had bent her port wing tip and cracked her spar. The aircraft was written off. Her cockpit was stripped and she was left to the wilderness. For almost three decades she lay in the bush – her paint work fading and her huge fabric surfaces slowly deteriorating.
Source & photo:
https://atlanticcanadaaviationmuseum.wordpress.com/2009/12/20/the-story-of-our-pby-5a-canso/

Crash of a Lockheed WV-2 Super Constellation at Argentia NAS

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1957 at 0933 LT
Operator:
Registration:
141314
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Argentia - Argentia
MSN:
4438
YOM:
1956
Country:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Aircraft flight hours:
558
Circumstances:
After takeoff from Argentia NAS, while on a barrier flight, the crew informed ATC that the aircraft caught fire, that he lost an engine and must return for an emergency landing. Following a return circuit, the pilot-in-command completed a wheels-up landing. The airplane slid for dozen yards before coming to rest in flames. All 24 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Overheating of the brakes on the left main gear caused a tire to explode when the gear was raised. High temperatures caused fire in the gear bay and fire spread to the engine number two which caught fire and detached shortly later.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-3 Otter in Goose Bay

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
3684
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
45
YOM:
1954
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered an accident at Goose Bay Airport. There were no injuries but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Newfoundland: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jul 8, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-IHP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Fox Harbour – Goose Bay
MSN:
345
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while performing a flight from Fox Harbour to Goose Bay. As the airplane failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor both occupant was ever found.

Crash of a Boeing KC-97E-45-BO Stratotanker near Goose Bay: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 6, 1956
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
51-0220
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Lake Charles - Goose Bay
MSN:
16287
YOM:
1951
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
One of the engine caught fire while descending to Goose Bay Airport following a flight from Lake Charles, Louisiana. The airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a dense wooded area located 72 km northeast of Goose Bay Airport. All six crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland U-1A Otter in Goose Bay: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1956 at 1856 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
3666
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Goose Bay - Goose Bay
MSN:
12
YOM:
1953
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew (two pilots and one mechanic) was engaged in a post-maintenance check flight. Two minutes after takeoff from Goose Bay Airport, while climbing, the crew raised the flaps when the aircraft stalled. Simultaneously, the left wing broke out at its root. Out of control, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed, killing all three occupants. It was reported that ground maintenance was provided on the left port inner trailing edge flap.
Probable cause:
A sudden spontaneous full flap retraction caused the nose of the aircraft to drop. Loads on the wing exceeded the design strength, causing the left hand wing to break off. It struck the tail, causing the airplane to crash.

Crash of a Grumman SA-16A Albatross off Argentia NAS: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1956
Operator:
Registration:
49-069
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
G-27
YOM:
1950
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew was en route to Spain to deliver the aircraft to the Spanish Air Force (Ejército del Aire). Shortly after takeoff from Argentia NAS, while climbing, the seaplane went out of control and crashed into the Placentia Bay, about 1,5 km off shore. All six crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-20-DK in Oreway: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1956 at 0052 LT
Operator:
Registration:
CF-GVZ
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Quebec – Seven Islands – Knob Lake – Oreway – Seven Islands – Quebec
MSN:
15552/26997
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
At approximately 1436 hours Atlantic Standard Time on 16 January the aircraft took off on a non-scheduled flight from Mont Joli, Quebec, to Knob Lake via Seven Islands and arrived at Knob Lake at 2002 hours. At 2202 hours on 17 January the aircraft took off from Knob Lake on the return flight to Seven Islands via Oreway, Labrador, with a crew of three and fifteen passengers on board, The flight appears to have been normal until 2312 hours at which time, according to the navigation log, heavy to moderate rime ice was encountered and the aircraft was climbed to 10 000 feet. At 2335 hours a further note was made in the log that the oil pressure on the starboard engine had dropped to 40 pounds (per square inch) and that at 2336 hours the warning light came on and the starboard propeller was feathered. According to a statement obtained from one of the passengers and the declaration of the stewardess, the engine was subsequently restarted for about ten minutes and then stopped again. The aircraft gradually lost height on one engine and due to the hills ahead the captain decided to return to Oreway. At 0052 the aircraft crashed to the ground about 2 000 feet southeast of Oreway railway station, while a forced landing was being attempted. The captain, co-pilot and one passenger died in the accident and the stewardess died of injuries a few days later; two passengers were seriously injured and some of the remaining passengers received minor injuries.
Probable cause:
The aircraft was crash landed at night through inability to maintain height due to failure of the starboard engine under icing conditions when the aircraft was heavily loaded. In addition to the facts cited by the Board it is concluded, from a review of its report, that the pilot committed an error in taking the aircraft off from Knob Lake at a weight calculated to be 729 lbs. in excess of the maximum permitted for that airfield.
Final Report:

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Saint Anthony

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1955
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-GPM
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
162
YOM:
1943
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taking off from the harbor of Saint Anthony, the single engine aircraft went through the ice and came to rest partially submerged. All occupants evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed C-121J Super Constellation off Codroy: 13 killed

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1955 at 0515 LT
Operator:
Registration:
131639
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Stephenville – Patuxent
MSN:
4140
YOM:
1953
Country:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
While cruising by night over the Prince Edward Island, the crew informed ATC about a dual engine failure and elected to return to Stephenville-Ernest Harmon Airport. While approaching Newfoundland, the airplane went out of control and crashed into the gulf of Saint-Laurent off Codroy, about 112 km southwest of Stephenville. All 13 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure in flight.