Patricia Bay

The Sound Flight DHC-2 float-equipped Beaver aircraft, N340KA, flew from Patricia Bay to Dodger Channel where the pilot planned to land. He set up an approach to land to the south in Dodger Channel, into the wind. On short final, the pilot noticed a shoal so he decided to overshoot, make a circuit, and land beyond the shoal. He applied power, established a climb and began a left turn. As the aircraft turned, it came into the lee of Diana Island. The aircraft encountered subsiding air and began to descend. The pilot was unable to arrest the descent. The aircraft struck the water and sank. All six occupants escaped without any injury but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The aircraft was carrying a passenger and a pilot on behalf of the British Columbia Department of Public Works who should make a view of a bridge located at Sooke before returning to Patricia Bay. Shortly after takeoff the aircraft climbed steeply to about 50 feet slowly veering and rolling to the left in a nose high attitude until it stalled and crashed in flames in a field. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire and both occupants were killed. It is believed the pilot was inexperienced.

Few minutes after takeoff from Tofino Airport, while flying at an altitude of 2,800 feet in low visibility due to clouds, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located 7 miles east southeast of Bamfield, in the Somerset Range. The wreckage was found for days later (July 17) in an isolated area and all 14 occupants were killed.
Crew (11th Squadron):
F/O W. E. Davies, pilot,
F/O R. J. Martello,
F/O N. M. Popovich,
F/O H. A. Lowe,
W/O V. C. Crosson,
W/O J. B. Presse,
F/Sgt D. W. Hope.
Passengers:
Sgt Bennett,
Cpl N. W. Johnson,
Cpl W. Hrysko,
Cpl N. Johnston,
LAC R. B. Kitely,
LAC L. H. Tull,
LAW M. Mann.

The crew was completing a training sortie from Patricia Bay on behalf of the 32nd OTU. En route, the right engine failed, forcing the crew to ditch the aircraft about 250 km southwest of Vancouver (48°10'00.0"N 126°09'00.0"W). All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

The twin engine aircraft left Patricia Bay Airport in the early morning to perform a navigation exercise over the Vancouver Island. En route, the crew encountered poor visibility and the aircraft failed to return. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On October 25, 2013, almost 71 years later, hikers found the wreckage in a hilly and wooded area located near Mesachie Lake.
Crew (32nd OTU):
Sgt Robert Ernest Luckock, pilot,
Sgt William Baird, wireless operator,
P/O Charles George Fox, navigator,
P/O Anthony William Lawrence, navigator.

En route, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reason. In low visibility due to fog, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed near the Vancouver University. While the aircraft was written off, all five crew members were rescued.

The crew was performing a training exercise out from Patricia Bay airbase. En route, while cruising off Thormanby Island, the left engine failed. The captain decided to ditch the aircraft and all five crew members were quickly rescued while the aircraft was lost and later recovered.

The crew departed Patricia Bay Airport on a local training exercise. This was the first solo flight for the crew. After approaching for a landing, the pilot proceeded to make another circuit. The airplane appeared to climb slowly and when in the vicinity of Shoal Harbor was seen to assume a steep dive from which it never recovered. The airplane crashed into the sea off Patricia Bay Airport. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Miller Hatfield, pilot,
P/O Bruce Hutchinson, wireless operator and air gunner.

The seaplane departed Patricia Bay on a reconnaissance patrol mission. The pilot apparently endeavored to effect a landing on exceeding water off Nanoose Bay. The left wing tip apparently dropped and came in contact with a large wave causing the aircraft to slew violently to the left and force the nose into the water crashing the forward part of the hull and breaking all cockpit windows. The aircraft then sank nose first in approximately four minutes. Wing tip and tailplane only visible during this period of time. All eight crew members were killed and the body of the pilot was found four days later.
Crew:
F/Lt Donald Clark MacDougall, pilot,
Sgt Gordon Herbert Andrews, pilot,
Sgt Russell Tremaine Mitchell, navigator,
AC1 Robert William Adams, observer,
LAC William Dennis Riley, observer,
AC1 Robert Albert Blakely, wireless operator,
Sgt John Cunningham Gunn, wireless operator,
P/O Richard Wood, wireless operator.

The crew was performing a flight from Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, to Patricia Bay, British Columbia, with an intermediate stop in Penticton. The seaplane departed Penticton seaplane base at 1026LT. Few minutes after his departure, the radio operator informed ground about his ETA in Patricia Bay at 1300LT. At 1400LT, the crew changed his frequency and informed ground about his position north of Vancouver, flying in very bad weather conditions with snow falls. As the airplane failed to arrive in Patricia Bay, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Six years later, walkers found the wreckage on Mt Baldwin (1,427 metres high) located 10 km southeast of Squamish. It appears that the aircraft hit the mountain 10 metres below the summit. All five crewmen were killed.
Crew (5th Squadron):
P/O Gerald Searing Palmer, pilot,
Sgt Jack Fenton Bliss,
Cpl John Robert Bruce Fernie,
LAC Gilbert Fowler Willette,
LAC Charles Murray Ross.