Canada

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke

Schedule:

La Guardia – Newark – Buffalo – Detroit – South Bend – Chicago

MSN:

2207

YOM:

1940

Flight number:

AA001

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

5929

Captain / Total hours on type:

3702.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1065

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

11027

Circumstances:

While descending to Detroit, the crew was instructed by ATC to abandon the approach due to poor weather conditions. The crew completed several circuits over Detroit to expect a weather improvement without success. After several minutes, due to fuel shortage, the captain decided to divert to London Airport, Ontario. Suddenly, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed at an angle of 70° in an open field. All 20 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

During its descent the airplane apparently was partially but not completely out of control. There was no fire in or about the airplane prior to impact. No evidence of sabotage was discovered. There was no power plant failure prior to the accident, and the engines were functioning normally at the time the airplane struck the ground. Nothing was found to indicate that there had been any structural failure or failure of the control system of the airplane. As a result of the complete destruction of some portions of the airplane, however, it is impossible to eliminate completely the possibility that such failure occurred. Now, therefore, the Board finds that the evidence presently available and in possession of the Board is not sufficient to permit determination of the probable cause of this accident.

Final Report:

Crash of a Bristol Fairchild Bolingbroke IV into the St Margarets Bay

Date & Time: Oct 27, 1941 at 1830 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

9023

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Yarmouth - Yarmouth

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

225

Captain / Total hours on type:

85.00

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Yarmouth on a navigation exercise. Due to the inexperience of the pilot, it landed short distance from shore (St Margarets Bay) and sank. All four crew members were seriously injured.
Crew:
P/O J. M. McQueen, pilot,
P/O G. W. H. Charles, navigator,
Sgt W. R. MacDonald, wireless operator,
Sgt R. H. McKay, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Error in judgement of pilot in that he mistook local weather conditions to be general and with ample fuel for four hours failed to examine or confirm by flight to or radio the weather at alternate landing fields. In this case, weather at four alternative landing fields within easy range, Moncton, Debert, Dartmouth and Yarmouth, was good. Reduced visibility at nightfall was a contributing factor.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V in Montreal: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1941 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

AM895

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Debert - Debert

MSN:

414-2977

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

248

Captain / Total hours on type:

73.00

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight on behalf of the 31st Operational Training Unit and was on the final of a long distance exercise. While returning to Debert Airport, Nova Scotia, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the pilot decided to divert to Montreal-Dorval Airport. On approach, he lost control of the airplane that crashed on a barn located in Cartierville, some 6 km north of the airfield. The airplane was destroyed by fire and all four occupants were killed.
Crew (31st OTU):
P/O John Fisher Boyd, pilot,
P/O Alan Ewart Gilbert Wainwright, navigator,
Sgt Abie Kirsch, wireless operator.
Passenger:
LAC A. J. Morris.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the pilot being forced to fly at a low altitude due to adverse weather conditions while attempting to approach the Dorval Airport, failed to see the barn and crashed onto it. Or that the pilot stalled the aircraft, commenced a spin and crashed into the barn.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson V in Great Village: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 23, 1941 at 0730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

AM896

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket

Schedule:

Debert - Debert

MSN:

414-2978

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

233

Captain / Total hours on type:

42.00

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a final long distance exercise prior to an Atlantic ferry flight to UK. The twin engine airplane was on approach to Debert Airfield when it went out of control and disintegrated in a field located in Great Village, some 10 km west of Debert. All four crew members were killed.
Crew (31st OTU):
P/O Charles Beeching O'Hanley, pilot,
P/O Richard Aubrey Luard, navigator,
Sgt Robert Frederick Kelly, wireless operator,
Sgt Norman Leonard Hornsey.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident could not be determined.

Final Report:

Crash of a Bellanca 31-55 Senior Skyrocket on Salal Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 21, 1941

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Livingston Wernecke

Registration:

NC14701

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Private

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hyder - Alert Bay

MSN:

807

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The single engine airplane was flying from Hyder to Alert Bay when the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. Too low, the aircraft hit trees and crashed in a wooded area located on Salal Island, BC. The airplane was destroyed and both occupants were killed, among them Livingston Wernecke, explorer, scientist, and mine executive, who was returning from an investigation of the Riverside Tungsten mine near Hyder, Alaska.
Crew:
Charles Gropstis, pilot.
Passenger:
Livingston Wernecke.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I near North Battleford: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1941 at 1115 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

AS490

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

North Battleford – North Battleford

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

170

Captain / Total hours on type:

51.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed North Battleford on a training exercise. The airplane was flying low and made a very steep bank to the right, as a result of which wither it stalled and nosed into the ground or the pilot over-corrected when levelling out and touched ground with the port wing and so caused the aircraft to crash some 12 miles south of North Battleford. The airplane was destroyed and both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpl F. A. Mitchell, pilot,
Cpl T. E. E. Leahy, pilot.

Probable cause:

Deliberate unauthorized low flying.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson in Dartmouth

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1941 at 1345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

777

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Dartmouth - Dartmouth

MSN:

414-1781

YOM:

1940

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

329

Captain / Total hours on type:

329.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in a navigation exercise at RCAF Dartmouth, carrying four crew members. During the takeoff roll, the airplane swung and ground looped, causing the undercarriage to collapse. The airplane came to halt, caught fire and exploded. All four crew members were seriously injured.
Crew:
Sgt D. F. Quirt, pilot,
P/O P. W. Porter, navigator,
LAC G. C. Merrill, wireless operator,
P/O F. H. Lashley, navigator.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined as the results of the Court of inquiry was not received.

Final Report:

Ground fire of a Lockheed 10 Electra in Mountain View

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1941 at 1435 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

7652

Flight Phase:

Parking

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Mountain View - Mountain View

MSN:

1001

YOM:

1934

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1044

Captain / Total hours on type:

29.00

Circumstances:

The twin engine airplane was engaged in a local instructional flight at RCAF Mountain View, Ontario. While completing landing circuits, it caught fire in the air. During the approach, the pilot noticed smoke coming from the cabin, and after landing taxied off the runway, shut off the engines and investigated for the cause of the smoke. Flames broke out anew which could not be extinguished. There were no injuries among the crew but the airplane was totally destroyed by fire.
Crew:
Sgt K. A. Carte, pilot,
P/O L. I. Armstrong, pilot.
Passengers:
P/O J. H. Young,
Sgt C. J. Faulkes.

Probable cause:

In-flight fire for reasons that could not be determined.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Shearwater

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1941 at 0605 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

773

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors: