Canada

Operator:

Registration:

6242

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Saskatoon - Saskatoon

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot was completing a solo training flight at Saskatoon Airport. While circling in the vicinity of the airport, the twin engine airplane collided with a second RCAF Avro Anson registered 6103 and also carrying one pilot. Both crew were completing a formation exercise when the collision occurred. Both aircraft dove into the ground and were destroyed and both pilots were killed.
Crew:
LAC W. L. N. Starkey, pilot.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined. Most probably inexperienced pilots flew too close together in formation flying.

Final Report:

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

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1941 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6273

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Moncton - Moncton

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 exercise at Moncton Airport with other RCAF Avro Anson. After giving dual instruction, the airplane joined the formation, third on the right, without knowledge of the other pilots in the formation. Leader, LAC Robb, gave a signal to come up into 'line abrest', which LAC Williams obeyed. Shortly LAC Williams in aircraft Anson 6273 collided with Anson 6357 piloted by P/O Gillard. Aircraft locked momentarily, went out of control and crashed. Both airplanes were destroyed, two crew were killed and two others were injured.
Crew:
LAC E. H. Williams, †
LAC J. D. Patton.

Probable cause:

The Anson piloted by P/O Gillard joined a formation without the knowledge of all members of the formation. Disobedience of flying regulations.

Final Report:

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

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1941 at 1220 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6357

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Moncton - Moncton

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

Circumstances:

Probable cause:

The Anson piloted by P/O Gillard joined a formation without the knowledge of all members of the formation. Disobedience of flying regulations.

Final Report:

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson I in Oak Lake: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1941 at 1500 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6250

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Rivers - Rivers

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:

54.00

Circumstances:

The crew departed Rivers AFB on a navigation training exercise. En route, they encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. Too low above the lake, the airplane flew into surface of lake in poor visibility and crashed 35 km southwest of Rivers AFB. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt Joseph Goodwin Butcher, pilot,
Sgt William Henry Prest, observer,
Sgt Harry Albert Howarth, observer,
LAC Lloyd Ross Lancaster, wireless operator.

Probable cause:

The pilot did not have enough experience to fly by instruments and tried to fly by 'contact' through a snow flurry. This caused the aircraft to crash into snow on a lake.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson III in Seven Mile Pond: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1941 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

T9449

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

414-2502

YOM:

1941

Location:

Seven Mile Pond

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Gander Airport at 1958LT on a flight to England via Greenland and Iceland, and was completing a delivery mission with a group of five other similar machines. While flying some 50 miles northeast off Gander, over the Atlantic Ocean, the oil pressure failed on the right engine. The crew shut down the engine but was unable to feather the propeller. The captain decided to return to Gander but while approaching the coast, the left engine suffered the same problem. Eventually, the crew decided to attempt an emergency landing in a snow covered field. After touchdown, the airplane slid for few dozen metres, lost its both engines and came to rest nearby a wooded area located on the Seven Mile Pond, between Musgrave Harbour and Gander. The radio operator and the navigator were killed while the pilot and the passenger were seriously injured. The following day, the passenger died from injuries sustained.
Crew:
Joseph Mackey, pilot,
William Bird, navigator, †
William Snailham, radio operator. †
Passenger:
Frederick Grant Branting, famous Canadian medical scientist, Nobel Laureate and co-discover of insulin. †

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by an oil leak.

Crash of a Lockheed L-414 Hudson I in Montreal: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1941 at 1600 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed L-414 Hudson

Operator:

Registration:

T9450

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Delivery

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Montreal - Gander

MSN:

414-2503

YOM:

1941

Location:

Montreal-Saint-Hubert

Quebec

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was on a delivery flight from California to England via Canada, carrying three crew members. Shortly after takeoff from Montreal-Saint Hubert Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed, bursting into flames. All three occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt L. A. Jackson, pilot,
S. H. McCaughan, radio operator +1.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I near Cochrane: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 17, 1941 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

6200

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Lockheed 14 Super Electra

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Cochrane - Cochrane

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

282

Captain / Total hours on type:

119.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

Copilot / Total hours on type:

Aircraft flight hours:

340

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a training sortie out from Cochrane. The aircraft lost height and commenced low flying then crashed into a cable stretched across the Bow River at a height of 25 to 50 feet. The machine struck the water and carried on to the river bank a distance of about a hundred yards. The craft was completely wrecked and both occupants were immediately killed.
Crew:
Sgt A. E. Reginald, pilot,
LAC Q. B. Chace, pilot.

Probable cause:

The pilot was doing unauthorized low flying.

Final Report:

Crash of a Lockheed 14-H2 Super Electra in Armstrong: 12 killed

Date & Time: Feb 6, 1941 at 0350 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CF-TCP

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site: