Vancouver

En route to Kemano, weather conditions deteriorated. The pilot decided to reduce his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when the seaplane crashed into the Kingscorner Point located north of Butedale. All five passengers were killed while the pilot survived.

While cruising at an altitude of 1,800 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in Halfmoon Bay. The wreckage was spotted by the crew of a RCAF helicopter three days later. A day later, on December 9, rescuers arrived on site. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

During an instrument approach to Comox Airbase, while flying in poor weather conditions, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a swampy area. All seven passengers were killed while both pilots were injured. It was later confirmed by the RCAF that the Lancaster was scheduled on this flight to replace a Canso that suffered an engine failure earlier that day.
Crew:
F/O Ruff F. Johnson, pilot,
F/O Monte J. Wright, copilot,
F/O Joseph Frederick Doucette, navigator, †
Cpl George Stanley Fletcher, flight engineer. †
Passengers:
F/Sgt Joseph Leo Laurier Maynard, †
A1c Vernon Joseph McIntyre, †
Cpl Freeman Archibald McKay, †
A1c Wayne Frederick Smith, †
A1c Roy Howard Walsh, †
Malcolm G. McLeod. †

The aircraft left Kildala at 1532 bound for Vancouver carrying twenty passengers and a crew of three. At 1733 the aircraft reported over Sullivan Bay and gave its ETA Vancouver as 1840. At 1825 the ETA Vancouver was revised to 1903 on account of strong southeast winds. The next and last radio transmission received was at 1848 when the aircraft reported it was 20 miles west of Vancouver at 2,000 feet and requested clearance to the tower frequency. At approximately 1855 hours the aircraft crashed into Mount Benson. All occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.

The four engine aircraft left Vancouver at 1853LT bound for Tokyo-Haneda with an intermediate stop in Elmendorf AFB in Anchorage. While cruising along the Alaskan shore, vertical to the Cape Spencer, near Elfin Cove, the crew informed ground about his position and gave an estimate about 0000LT vertical to Yakutat. This was the last message as the airplane disappeared few minutes later. As the aircraft failed to arrive in Anchorage, SAR operations were conducted but no trace of the aircraft nor the 37 occupants was found. All operations were eventually suspended on October 31, 1951.

The approach to Penticton was started in marginal weather conditions when the aircraft hit several trees. While contacting trees, the left wing was sheared off, the aircraft rotated to the left and crashed in a snow covered and wooded area located on the Mt Okanagan, about 27 km north of the Penticton Airport. Sixteen occupants were evacuated, some of them were injured. Unfortunately, both pilots were killed in the accident.

After touchdown in Haneda Airport, the four engine aircraft christened 'Empress of Vancouver' encountered difficulties to stop. It overran and eventually plunged into the bay of Tokyo. All 15 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft was lost.

While approaching Vancouver from the North, the crew did not realized that his altitude was insufficient due to the low visibility caused by night. The twin engine aircraft hit the east slope of a mountain located near Mt Elsay, some 16 km north of Vancouver. SAR operations were conducted in a large area but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Walkers found the wreckage of the aircraft in a remote area on September 27, 1994.

Shortly after takeoff from Tofino, the seaplane lost height and crashed 5 km east of Tofino. All 12 crew members were rescued while the aircraft was lost.

While cruising at an altitude of 7,000 feet by night and in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cheam located near the Fraser Valley, in the region of Chilliwack. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the 13 occupants was found. The wreckage was spotted by hunters in August 1943.