De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

Witnesses stated that the aircraft used most of the runway to takeoff, reached an approximately altitude of 60 feet, then pulled up to clear an embankment. However, the aircraft struck a tall palm tree and crashed between 2 roads, near an intersection, where the roads merged. The cargo was removed from the acft and weighed. Computations showed that the maximum allowable gross weight of the acft was exceeded by approximately 1,928 lbs. No preimpact part failure or malfunction was evident. The passenger was injured and the pilot was killed.

Few minutes after takeoff from Pickle Lake, while in cruising altitude, the pilot hear a loud bang. The engine lost power then caught fire and failed. Unable to reach the nearest airport, the pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a swampy scrub, bursting into flames. Both occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

A wheel/ski-equipped DHC-3 Otter aircraft was on the return leg of a charter flight to Snegamook Lake to retrieve a hunting party of four, along with their hunting gear and bounty of several hundred ptarmigan. It departed Snegamook Lake at 09:15. After takeoff, the engine began to run rough but improved somewhat when the power was reduced for cruising. As the aircraft was approaching Nipishish Lake, the pilot reported to company dispatch that the engine was again running rough, but he was able to maintain altitude, and he would follow the Crooked River toward Goose Bay in case a precautionary landing became necessary. Three minutes later, C-FAGM called dispatch again, advising them that he was intending to land on a large area on the Crooked River. He also indicated that there was an odour of smoke in the aircraft. The aircraft was in a nose-down, left- bank attitude, with the flaps fully extended and the skis retracted when it struck the frozen surface of the river. The Otter bounced clear of the surface, turned left came to rest in an upright position.

After takeoff from lake Helen, the pilot raised the flaps and reduced the speed when the aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. Both occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

Aircraft was performing test flight maneuvers when problems with the modified fuel system occurred. Ice blocking a fuel vent line caused a partial collapse of the main (engine feed) fuel cell which produced an erroneous fuel quantity reading. In addition, the main tank overflow shut off valve was leaking, so tank overflow occurred. The fuel overflow caution light illuminated and auxiliary tank fuel pump feed to main automatically shut down. Due to miscalibration, this system overrode pilot attempts to restart aux fuel pumps. Pilot remained in test area troubleshooting rather than immediate return to base, finally noted main tank gage continuing to read 'full.' En route to Boeing Field, fuel starvation occurred. Pilot opted to attempt forced landing in small athletic field in residential area rather than ditch in puget sound. The aircraft touched down in intended landing area, then bounced across an adjacent street. The arresting action of telephone wires on the vertical fin brought the aircraft to rest in a residential backyard. All three occupants were injured, one seriously.

The single engine airplane was conducting a taxi flight from Tyee Lake near Smithers and Tatlatui Lake, carrying four passengers and a pilot bound for a hunting camp. About 10 minutes after takeoff, the single engine airplane entered a valley when the pilot saw obstacles and initiated to leave the area. While performing a steep turn, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a dense wooded area, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found off track about 25 km northeast of Smithers. All five occupants were killed.

The single engine airplane was completing a charter flight from Barrier Lake, Manitoba, to Flin Flon, with one pilot and eight fishermen on board. It was being flown at low altitude with reduced power settings because of suspected low fuel and headwinds. The engine lost power due to fuel starvation and the pilot attempted an emergency landing when the airplane struck trees and crash landed in dense bush near Precipice Lake, Manitoba, about 10 miles north of Flin Flon. All 10 occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.
Photo and source: https://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_295.html - Karl E. Hayes

The crew departed Montreal-Saint-Hubert Airport on a training mission. While cruising at low altitude, the airplane stalled and crashed in a wooded area, bursting into flames. The wreckage was found near Lac des Chats. All three occupants were killed.

En route from Newburgh-Stewart to Ottawa, the single engine airplane crashed in unknown circumstances on Slide Mountain, State of New York. The wreckage was found two days later and all four occupants were killed. The crew was returning to Ottawa following an exchange course at Norfolk NAS, Virginia.
Occupants:
Maj Eugene Ross,
Cpt Gilles Dessureault,
Cpt Jean Petit,
Lt Col D. R. Lawrence.

Few minutes after takeoff from Togiak while on a taxi flight to Dillingham, the pilot encountered foggy conditions in a valley. He attempted to make a climb turn when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain. The pilot and a passenger were killed while seven other occupants were injured. The aircraft was totally destroyed.