Moncton

Flight Type:

Postal (mail)

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moncton - Montreal

MSN:

154

YOM:

1965

Flight number:

AWV9807

Location:

Linneus

Maine

Country:

United States of America

Region:

Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6000

Captain / Total hours on type:

500.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

600

Copilot / Total hours on type:

300

Aircraft flight hours:

22050

Aircraft flight cycles:

15452

Circumstances:

The airplane was in cruise flight at 16,000 feet, in instrument meteorological conditions. About two minutes after the crew ceased cross-feeding due to a fuel imbalance, the left engine experienced a total loss of power. About one minute later, the co-pilot indicated to the pilot-in-command (PIC) that the airplane was losing airspeed, and about 15 seconds later, the co-pilot remarked "keep it up, keep it up." Shortly thereafter, the airplane departed controlled flight and impacted terrain. The airplane was destroyed by fire and impact forces. Examination of the left engine revealed no evidence of any pre-impact failures that would have accounted for an uncommanded in-flight shut-down. A SIGMET for potential severe clear icing was effective for airplane's flight path; however, the flight crew did not report or discuss any weather related problems around the time of the accident. At the time of the accident, the airplane was above its single-engine service ceiling. The PIC had accumulated approximately 6,000 hours of total flight experience, of which, about 500 hours were as PIC in make and model. The co-pilot had approximately 600 hours of total fight experience, of which, 300 hours were in make and model.

Probable cause:

The pilot-in-command's failure to maintain minimum control airspeed, which resulted in a loss of control. Factors in this accident were clouds, and a loss of engine power for undetermined reasons, while in cruise flight above the airplane's single engine service ceiling.

Final Report:

Crash of a Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain in Bathurst: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1994 at 1845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Preferred Flights

Registration:

C-GNPG

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moncton - Bathurst

MSN:

31-7752119

YOM:

1977

Flight number:

Empress204

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

3500

Captain / Total hours on type:

2600.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

685

Copilot / Total hours on type:

350

Aircraft flight hours:

8162

Circumstances:

At 1805 Atlantic standard time (AST), C-GNPG, a Piper Navajo Chieftain operating as Empress 204, departed Moncton, New Brunswick, on a scheduled courier flight to Bathurst. The aircraft carried a two-pilot crew, and there was no cargo on board. The aircraft proceeded direct to Bathurst at 8,000 feet above sea level (asl) and at 1820 AST was cleared by Moncton Area Control Centre (ACC) for an approach at Bathurst. The co-pilot contacted the Bathurst UNICOM and advised the operator that the crew would be flying the non-directional beacon/distance measuring equipment (NDB/DME) runway 10 approach. During the non-precision instrument approach to runway 10, the aircraft struck trees .75 nautical miles (nm) inside the Bathurst beacon and 3.75 nm from the airport. The accident occurred at approximately 1845 AST, during the hours of darkness in instrument meteorological conditions, at an elevation of 450 feet asl. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

The crew of Empress 204 allowed the aircraft to descend below the minimum descent altitude for the approach.

Final Report:

Crash of a Convair CV-580 in Belvidere Centre: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1991 at 2150 LT

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-580

Operator:

Registration:

C-FICA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Moncton - Hamilton

MSN:

YOM:

1968

Location:

Belvidere Center

Vermont

Country:

United States of America

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

10400

Captain / Total hours on type:

1200.00

Aircraft flight hours:

39323

Circumstances:

The airplane was cruising in night instrument meteorological conditions when it entered a left turn and exceeded the design airframe limits. The airplane broke up in the descent due to aerodynamic forces and was destroyed. The outboard wing panels had failed downward and center wing section separated from the fuselage. The horizontal stabilizer and elevators had failed down and aft. The captain was found out of the cockpit with no evidence of him being in the seat at impact a human factors study found the aircraft's last minute of flight matched a profile of a pilot experiencing spatial disorientation. Both pilots were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the first officer (co-pilot) to maintain control of the aircraft after becoming spatially disoriented, and his exceeding the design stress limits of the aircraft. Factors related to the accident were: the lack of two pilots in the cockpit, darkness, and instrument meteorological conditions (IMC) at flight altitude.

Final Report:

Crash of a Cessna 401 in Le Havre-aux-Maisons: 6 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1975 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Cessna 401

Operator:

Richel Air

Registration:

C-FVDY

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Le Havre-aux-Maisons (Magdalen Islands)

Schedule:

Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu – Moncton – Le Havre-aux-Maisons

Location:

Quebec

Country:

Canada

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane was completing a charter flight from Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu to Le Havre-aux-Maisons with an intermediate stop in Moncton, carrying a pilot and five engineers flying to the Magdalen Islands to solve a factory cooler insulation problem. Upon touchdown, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames. It was totally destroyed by a post crash fire and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Jacques Laporte, pilot.
Passengers:
André Labarre,
Laurent Jasmin,
Albert Tanguay,
Robert Thétrault,
Claude Périard.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-1 in Moncton

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1961

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CF-FKQ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lockheed 14 Super Electra

MSN:

4301

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown on runway 29 at Moncton Airport, the airplane collided with a snow plough and came to rest. The captain was unhurt while the pilot and the snow plough's driver were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew landed on a runway that was closed to trafic due to a snow removal procedure.

Crash of a Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra in Turtle Creek: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 2, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CF-TCJ

Flight Phase:

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

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Moncton - Moncton

MSN:

1473

YOM:

1938

Flight number:

TCA032

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training flight from Moncton Airport. After completing a circuit, he was returning to the airfield when the right engine failed. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that lost height, hit trees and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Turtle Creek, southwest of Moncton Airport. The aircraft was destroyed and both occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso A in Morhiban Lake

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

11076

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Moncton – Keflavik

MSN:

CV-401

Location:

Morhiban Lake

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failure forced the captain to attempt an emergency landing on the icy Morhiban Lake. On touchdown, the seaplane went out of control and crashed in flames. All four crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Gander: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 8, 1942 at 0010 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

557

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Moncton – Gander

MSN:

18-2377

YOM:

1943

Location:

Gander

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Lodestar 557 departed Moncton. New Brunswick, at 2345 GMT on 7 May 1943 on a cargo transport flight to Gander. At 0313 GMT the following day, the aircraft contacted the Aerodrome Control Officer at Gander Station to request landing clearance. The aircraft was given landing clearance by P/O Thomas Howard Murray, aerodrome control officer, and was told to check their wheels down. The messages were acknowledged by 557. At this time the ceiling was practically unlimited. The aircraft was heard to pass over Gander airfield shortly thereafter, but the ceiling had unexpectedly fallen to 700 feet. This lowering of the ceiling possibly meant that ice may have formed on the aerials. It is unlikely that icing would have occurred on the wings or engines. This fly over was apparently done on instruments. The Lodestar contacted the Control Officer to indicate they had missed the field and were to try again. The aircraft then acknowledged being given the ceiling height and barometric pressure by the station. At this point, the landing of the aircraft on the control tower side was taken over by the station manager of Trans Canada Airlines (TCA), Mr. Harry Beardsell. The aircraft was carrying cargo and under the operational control of TCA and therefore should be under TVA radio coverage. Instructions were passed to the aircraft by TCA as to the proper landing procedures for Gander, and these were acknowledged. The aircraft broke through the now 600 ft. ceiling, and was advised to circle and approach runway 27 (note, runway 27 is no longer in use at YQX; ourairports.com). At this point, TCA spoke directly to the pilot. According to Beardsell, he advised Svendsen to make one more attempt before proceeding to Sydney where the ceiling was at 1000 ft. and visibility was 3 miles. P/O Murray, who was listening to the communications between the control tower and Lodestar 557 denied that the aircraft was advised of a secondary landing location. According to the radio log, it was actually Lodestar 557 who suggested that it would try for one more landing and if not successful would return to Sydney and TCA seconded the decision. The aircraft approached, but seemed to be lined up with the wrong runway and was advised to circle again and attempt runway 27. P/O Murray believed that the boundary lights were confusing 557, causing it to line up with the wrong runway, so he switched off the lights and informed the aircraft through Beardsell. One the second attempt, the aircraft did not turn enough and was again told that it would probably not make it to the runway and to attempt again. The aircraft was told to make a right turn over the field near the airport, but it could be seen that the aircraft would not make the turn successfully. The pilot was advised to pull up two or three times by TCA, but at this point 557 was in a steep bank and went into a stall, losing altitude until it crashed. One witness saw the aircraft moments before the crash and stated it was flying very low at 200 ft. with engines functioning properly. The crash was indicated by a flash followed by a second, brighter flash, indicating it had crashed and was burning. Fire trucks and ambulances were dispatched to the scene. It crashed at 0340 GMT on 8 May 1943 approximately two miles east of the RCAF Station in Gander. All crew were killed.
Crew (164th Squadron):
Wo2 H. Svendsen, pilot,
Wo2 C. H. Allen, pilot,
Lac A. G. Sewell, wireless operator.
Source & photo:
http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2016/03/17/lodestar-557/

Probable cause:

The aircraft had been certified as airworthy and in serviceable condition; the pilot, WO2 Svendsen, was fully qualified to fly a Lodestar in all conditions, and had twice flown the same route to Gander on transportation flights. The cause of the crash was determined to be “pilot error, while attempting to get into position to make approach under low ceiling” (Mulvihill 1943). The aircraft slipped or stalled after changing from a left turn to a right turn in an attempt to realign with the runway. Because it was already in low altitude, the slip or stall caused it to strike the trees while trying to recover from the turn. The report recommends safety changes to the airbase. As Lodestar 557 had to make a final attempt because it had aligned with the wrong runway, the report determined that the runway lighting system of the RCAF station in Gander was confusing and should be studied and improved.

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson I in Moncton: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1941 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

6273

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site: