Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver in Nose Mountain: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
52-6070
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Grande Prairie – Edmonton
MSN:
425
YOM:
1952
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
On October 17, 1958 a Beaver belonging to the USAF took off from Grande Prairie, Alberta en route to Edmonton, AB., for a routine maintenance inspection. On board were Capt. William Varns, Capt. Walter Brown, Lt. Lawrence Anderson and Sgt. Jackie Herth from the 919th Squadron, Saskatoon Mountain Air Squadron, Beaverlodge, AB. Two hunters were reported missing in the area of Nose Mountain, south of Grande Prairie, and the flight was side-tracked to search for them. The hunters were spotted and the crew radioed that they were going down closer to enable them to drop a note to the hunters. That was the last word from them. A civilian plane with an USAF Sgt. aboard was dispatched from the Grande Prairie airport to search for the missing aircraft. They located it, but had no radio so had to return to Grande Prairie to report. Meanwhile a RCAF Search and Rescue aircraft from Namao, Alberta was dispatched. When they located the crash site, they radioed in the location and continued to circle until a RCAF helicopter from Dawson Creek, British Columbia, reached the site. The helicopter picked up the injured airmen and radioed back that “One of the chaps didn’t make it.” The injured were airlifted to Grande Prairie, AB., and transported by ambulance to the hospital in Beaverlodge. The hunters stayed at the crash site overnight and were airlifted out early the next day when the helicopter returned to fetch the body of Capt. William Varns. The two hunters were praised for their help in assisting the injured airmen. Airframe buried at crash site.
Source & photos: http://www.dhc-2.com/cn425.html

Crash of an Avro 652A Anson V in Matheson Point

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-FJL
MSN:
BRC-1559
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Matheson Point. Occupant's fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Coral Harbour

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1958
Operator:
Registration:
CF-TET
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
13393
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing at Coral Harbour Airport for unknown reason. Both crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Tom River

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-GOP
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
N29-48
YOM:
1951
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Tom River, the single engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, struck the bank and crashed. All four occupants were injured, two of them seriously.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman in Nakina: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-BSJ
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Nakina – Fort Hope
MSN:
N29-25
YOM:
1946
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from Nakina to Fort Hope on a cargo flight, weather conditions worsened and the pilot decided to return to Nakina. On approach, the left wing failed and detached, causing the airplane to crash in flames few km from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
Detachment of the left wing in-flight caused by the failure of several bolts located on the wing-root.

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver in High Lake: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 29, 1958 at 1745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-GIX
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
High Lake – Desolation Lake
MSN:
16
YOM:
1948
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Captain / Total flying hours:
2700
Captain / Total hours on type:
560.00
Aircraft flight hours:
8000
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft took off from High Lake at 1745LT on a non-scheduled charter flight to Desolation Lake with a pilot and three geologists aboard. The aircraft failed to arrive at its destination and later, during the same day, it was reported missing. The wreckage was found on 30 August approximately 2 miles south of High Lake. All four occupants had been killed in the crash and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by an engine failure. Subsequent examination revealed sufficient water in the fuel lines, screens and filters to cause engine failure. A forced landing was necessary and the aircraft struck the ground at a steep angle, estimated at approximately 60° measured from the horizontal, indicating that the aircraft was out of control at the time of impact.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver near Okanagan Falls: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-FHW
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
58
YOM:
1949
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a patrol flight, taking part to a search for a murder suspect. In flight, the single engine airplane struck the slope of a mountain bordering the Skaha Lake, near Okanagan Falls. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman near Bamfield

Date & Time: Jul 29, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
CF-OBM
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
N29-18
YOM:
1946
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While flying in the vicinity of Bamfield at a relative low altitude, the pilot made a sharp turn when the single engine airplane lost height and crashed into a lake. All three occupants were quickly rescued while the airplane sank and was lost.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman IV off Kenora

Date & Time: Jul 25, 1958 at 1020 LT
Type of aircraft:
Registration:
CF-BZM
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Malachi – Kenora
MSN:
5
YOM:
1936
Location:
Country:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
7865
Captain / Total hours on type:
4500.00
Circumstances:
At 1005LT, the Norseman IV registered CF-BZM took off from Malachi, Ontario, bound for Kenora on a non-scheduled flight with a pilot and 3 passengers on board. At about 1020LT the aircraft arrived over Keewatin approximately 2 miles west of Kenora, at an altitude of 1,500 feet, heading downwind, and started a routine left-hand circuit, descending on the downwind leg to 1,000 feet. The aircraft turned at 800 feet into the wind which was WNW and descended at a rate of 500 to 700 feet per minute. At about 20 feet above the water, the pilot saw a red and yellow flash on his right wing tip and then heard a loud noise. The aircraft went out of control, rolled to the left then right and crashed into the lake In a slightly nose-down attitude, swung 200 degrees and came to a stop in a southerly direction about 60 ft from the other aircraft. On the same day, a second Norseman VI registered CF-IRH took off from Bell Lake, Ontario, on a non-scheduled flight with the pilot and 7 passengers on board. At about 1020LT, the aircraft arrived in the vicinity of Kenora and turned onto the final leg of the approach to land, about 1,5 mile from the selected landing area. A straight power-an approach for approximately one mile was made and when about 20 feet above the water, the pilot looked out of the left window, saw the streamlined portion of a wing tip of another aircraft and heard the noise of the impact. The aircraft went out of control, struck the water, bounced about 25 feet, dived into the water and turned over. CF-BZM was destroyed while CF-IRH was substantially damaged. No fatalities occurred but one of the passengers on CF-IRH was seriously injured.
Probable cause:
Both pilots failed to maintain an adequate look-out during the initial and final stages of the approach for landing. The two aircraft were flown on converging courses and a collision ensued at a height of approximately 20 feet above the surface of the water.
Final Report: