Nunavut

The Piper Navajo Chieftain PA-31-350, serial number 31-8252042, was on an instrument flight rules (IFR) flight from Sanikiluaq to Iqaluit, Northwest Territories. Two pilots and two passengers were on board. After checking the runway condition and weather, the pilot commenced his take-off run on runway 27. After take-off, the pilot saw flames coming out of the right engine cowl. The right engine was shut down but the aircraft could not maintain a sufficient rate of climb, and it crashed on flat, snow-covered ground about one mile from the end of the runway. The aircraft sustained substantial damage on landing. After the aircraft came to a stop, the occupants evacuated via the left front door and walked back to the airport terminal for shelter and assistance. There were no injuries. The occurrence happened at night in instrument meteorological conditions.

After landing at Whale Cove Airport, the aircraft deviated to the left after a course of about 1,600 feet. It veered off runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While taking off from an icy lake, the nose gear struck an ice ridge. The aircraft went out of control and collided with the river bank before coming to rest. Both pilots were slightly injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The accident occurred at 69°58'00.0"N 76°59'00.0"W.

Every year, in the cold and darkness of late October, personnel at Canadian Forces Station Alert on Ellesmere Island, Nunavut, gather at a cairn near the runway to remember the crew and passengers of Hercules 130322 who lost their lives during a resupply mission to the station. On October 30, 1991, at approximately 4:40 p.m., flight 22 of Operation Boxtop – as the biannual resupply mission is called – was on its final approach to the station from Thule Air Force Base in Greenland. As the CC-130 Hercules from 435 Transport and Rescue Squadron, loaded with 3,400 litres of diesel fuel, began its descent, the pilot flying lost sight of the runway. Moments later, radar contact and communication were lost as the aircraft crashed approximately 16 km south of the station. The crew of another CC-130 Hercules, also bound for Alert, saw the fires of the crash and identified the location of Boxtop 22. The crash took the lives of five Canadian Armed Forces members – four died in the crash and one perished before help arrived – and led to the boldest and most massive air disaster rescue mission ever undertaken by the Canadian military in the High Arctic. Thirteen lives were saved. Within a half hour of the rescue call, a Hercules carrying 12 search and rescue technicians from 440 Search and Rescue Squadron in Edmonton, Alberta, was in the air. It reached the crash site seven and a half hours later, but the SAR technicians couldn’t descend due to the weather. Another Hercules from 413 Search and Rescue Squadron in Greenwood, Nova Scotia, soon joined the search. Meanwhile, search and rescue technicians formed a ground rescue team at Alert and set out overland for the crash site, guided through the darkness and horrendous weather conditions by a Hercules. The survivors, some soaked in diesel fuel, endured high winds and temperatures between -20C and -30C. Many sheltered in the tail section of the downed aircraft but others were more exposed to the elements. Finally, the 413 Squadron team finally got a break in the weather and six SAR technicians parachuted into the site more than 32 hours after the crash and began looking for survivors. They were joined soon after by more SAR technicians. When the ground rescue team finally arrived – 21 hours after it had set out – 26 rescuers were on the ground. They warmed and treated the injured and prepared them for medical evacuation. A Twin Huey helicopter from Alert made three trips to bring the survivors back to the station. Once again this year, personnel at Alert will conduct a parade on October 30 to commemorate the crash. The parade will begin at 4:30 p.m. and continue through the 4:40 p.m. timing when the crash occurred.
Those killed were:
Cpt John Couch, pilot,
Cpt Judy Trépanier, logistics officer,
M/WO Tom Jardine, regional services manager CANEX,
W/O Robert Grimsley, supply technician,
M/Cpl Roland Pitre, traffic technician.
Those who survived were:
Robert Thomson,
Susan Hillier,
Cpt Richard Dumoulin, logistics officer,
Cpt Wilma DeGroot, doctor,
Lt Joe Bales, pilot,
Lt Mike Moore, navigator,
M/WO Marc Tremblay, supply technician,
Sgt Paul West, flight engineer,
M/Cpl Tony Cobden, communications researcher,
M/Cpl David Meace, radio technician,
M/Cpl Mario Ellefsen, communications researcher,
M/S “Monty” Montgomery, communications researcher,
Pvt Bill Vance, communications researcher.
Source:
http://www.rcaf-arc.forces.gc.ca/en/article-template-standard.page?doc=remembering-the-crash-of-boxtop-flight-22/ig9v1k0t

Crashed for unknown reasons shortly after takeoff from Rankin Inlet Airport, killing all five occupants.

The twin engine aircraft departed Sanikiluaq Airport on an ambulance flight to Churchill, MB. In unknown circumstances, it crashed on Belcher Island, about 45 km southeast of Sanikiluaq Airport. Both pilots and the medevac passenger were killed.

The undercarriage collapsed upon landing at Nanisivik Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The airplane was being used for a series of flights between Frobisher (YFB) and Brevoort Island, a distance of 119 NM. These flights were conducted under visual flight rules (VFR) with a Flight Notification filed at Frobisher. Two return flights were accomplished without incident and the aircraft was flown back to Brevoort for another round trip. On the final flight the aircraft, with the same two pilots and with seven passengers, left Brevoort at 21:57 hours local time enroute to Frobisher. The pilots contacted Frobisher Flight Service Station (FSS) at 22:31 reporting at 6000 feet altitude estimating Frobisher in 15 minutes. Upon receiving the latest weather indicating conditions below VFR limits, they requested clearance for 'Special VFR'. This clearance was granted. Another weather report was transmitted by the Frobisher FSS giving the 22:44 observation in which the ceiling had lowered to 400 ft with the visibility at 8 miles and the wind from 190 deg M at 22 knots. The pilot stated they would make a front course ILS approach to runway 36 with a landing on 18. At 22:58 they were issued a clearance for an ILS approach. They subsequently reported outbound at procedure turn altitude and at that time confirmed their planned approach for runway 36 with circling for 18. This was the last radio transmission from C-GROW. The Twin Otter was seen flying north along the runway. It then struck high ground about 1,200 feet east of the runway and about 100 feet above runway level. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.

On final approach to Frobisher Bay Airport, while passing 40 feet over the runway threshold, the twin engine airplane rolled to the left and descended out of control, causing the left wing to struck the ILS antenna. The left engine was torn off and the airplane crashed nose first and came to rest upside down on the left side of the runway. Five occupants were injured while one the pilot was killed.

The aircraft was on a return flight between Resolute Bay, Nanisivik and Pond Inlet. The first two legs of the flight had been completed and the aircraft had been refueled at Pond Inlet. The return flight to Nanisivik was flown at 8,000 feet and all reports and radio transmissions were routine. The last transmission to the radio operator at Nanisivik made by the First Officer was 'a couple of miles back on left base and will be turning final shortly', which indicated that they were doing a night visual approach. A final wind check was passed to the aircraft but no acknowledgement was received. A witness to the accident described the aircraft as 'moving in a violent fashion' before it crashed 2,200 feet short of the runway in a 45° nose down, 80° right bank attitude. All eight occupants were killed.