Demonstration

The Catalina was one of two that arrived that morning in celebration of the first transatlantic flight by a Curtis NC-4 aircraft in 1917. The first landed without incident but the 2nd veered off course on landing and hit a temporary buoy before crashing into a heavy permanent navigational buoy that ripped off part of a wing and one of her floats. This caused the aircraft to cartwheel around out of control performing a spectacular 'surface loop'. Luckily she stayed afloat and the people on board were rescued by the occupants of some of the welcoming party's boats. One member of crew was taken to hospital with a gashed leg. The sinking aircraft was kept afloat and towed to the nearby former RAF flying boat base at Mount Batten where she remained in one of the old 'Sunderland' hangars under repair for several months. She eventually flew out of Plymouth Hoe on the return leg of the transatlantic flight towards the end of the year.

The Bandeirante departed Rio de Janeiro-Galeão Airport in the day, carrying 11 skydivers and three crew members who were taking part to an airshow. After all skydivers bailed out, the crew returned to Galeão Airport when he encountered engine problems. On approach to runway 32, the captain decided to ditch the airplane in the Guanabara Bay. All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft was lost.

The CC-130H registered 130331 was engaged in a local demonstration flight under callsign Trucker 2, taking part to the celebration of the RCAF 60th anniversary. While approaching the airbase, it collided with a second RCAF CC-130H registered 130330 (callsign Trucker 1). Both airplanes crashed and were destroyed. All 10 occupants in both aircraft were killed, four crew members in each aircraft plus two observers on board 130330.

The CC-130H registered 130330 was engaged in a local demonstration flight under callsign Trucker 1, taking part to the celebration of the RCAF 60th anniversary. While approaching the airbase, it collided with a second RCAF CC-130H registered 130331 (callsign Trucker 2). Both airplanes crashed and were destroyed. All 10 occupants in both aircraft were killed, four crew members in each aircraft plus two observers on board 130330.

The aircraft was taking part to an airshow at Opole-Polska Nowa Wies Airport, carrying 22 passengers and three crew members. After takeoff, while climbing, the aircraft stalled and crashed nose first. Fourteen occupants were injured while 11 others were killed. The aircraft was destroyed.

During the 1984 Farnborough International Air Display de Havilland Canada was to fly a display using DHC-5D C-GCTC, DHC-6 Twin Otter C-GFJQ, and both Dash 7 and Dash 8 prototypes C-GNBX and C-GDNK. Brakes were released at 16:16 and the Buffalo commenced its takeoff run as the third aircraft in the DHC combine behind the Dash 7 and Dash 8. Immediately after takeoff the Buffalo carried out a steep climb to a height of 1000 feet agl. Following a descending turn to the right, the airplane carried out a low level flypast along the display line at height of 250 feet agl and an airspeed of 215 kts. The Buffalo then entered a climbing turn to the left through about 270 degrees, before reversing bank in order to position for a right hand final approach for a STOL landing back onto runway 25. During this manoeuvre the landing gear was selected down and the copilot lowered the ramp and opened the rear cargo door. At a height of 450 feet agl the nose dropped significantly and the rate of descent increased. The DHC-5 continued in a steep side-slipping and descending turn to the right. Shortly before touchdown the rate of descent reduced slightly. The aircraft then landed very hard. The nose gear collapsed, both wings failed and the propellers disintegrated after contacting the runway. Debris caused some damage to vehicles and three aircraft in the static display area.

The Varsity aircraft was a twin engined training aircraft used by the Royal Air Force until 1974 when it was sold into private ownership. It was currently owned and operated by an aircraft preservation group who maintained the aircraft to its service specification. For this reason it carried the military designation "WJ897" on the fuselage and wings although it was registered as G-BDFT. The aircraft had been granted a Permit to Fly and was restricted to display and demonstration flying and the practising for such displays. Thirteen members of the society had boarded the aircraft earlier that morning at RAF Syerston in Nottinghamshire, where the aircraft was hangared, for the short flight to East Midlands Airport (EMA). This flight was uneventful and, after landing, the aircraft was refuelled with 436 imperial gallons of aviation gasoline (Avgas 100 LL) increasing the total fuel on board to 510 imp gals. It was intended to fly to Liverpool Airport (LPL) to take part in an air display that afternoon. It was arranged that aerial photographs of the Varsity would be taken during the flight to Liverpool using a Cessna 180. This aircraft was to rendezvous with the Varsity at 3000 feet amsl in the area of Blithfield Reservoir some 20 miles to the west of East Midlands Airport. The Varsity engines were normally started using a ground electrical supply. On this occasion, the left engine was reluctant to start and after it initially fired, it faltered and stopped, emitting smoke from the exhaust. For fear of exhausting the batteries with repeated attempts to start, the right engine was started first. The left engine was then motored over before another start attempt was made, this time successfully. The passengers on the Varsity were told that the left engine had been over primed on the first attempt to start. The Varsity took off at 09:32 and the approach controller at East Midlands Airport provided bearing and range information to the Varsity pilot to help him locate the Cessna 180 and, at 09:47 hrs, both aircraft changed to a discrete radio frequency. The Varsity was then flown in formation on the right hand side of the Cessna in a series of wide orbits of the Blithfield Reservoir. During this time, the left engine of the Varsity was seen to emit occasional puffs of smoke accompanied by loud bangs. When the photographer requested that the Varsity climb slightly above the Cessna and lower its undercarriage, the Varsity pilot reported that he was having trouble with the right engine. The Cessna pilot replied that it looked to him as if the problem was in fact with the left engine, as he could see puffs of smoke as if the engine were running too rich. When the Varsity pilot replied that it might be engine icing, the Cessna pilot noted that his intake temperature was indicating in the range where there was no risk of intake icing on his engine. The undercarriage of the Varsity was lowered briefly before being retracted again with the pilot's comment that he "could not accept the drag and might have to abort the photography". Towards the end of the photographic flying, the right engine started to backfire as well. At 10:05, the Varsity pilot called East Midlands Airport on the approach frequency requesting a direct return to the airport because he had some engine problems and might have to declare an emergency. In reply the approach controller passed the Varsity a course to steer to East Midlands and asked whether the Varsity could maintain height. The pilot answered that "at the present we are able to but it's with some difficulty". The Varsity steadily losing height and, at 10:07, the pilot informed the controller that the left engine of the Varsity had stopped. Thirty seconds later the Varsity co-pilot radioed "we're going to have to put it down in the nearest field, we're down to 400 feet and losing power on both engines so we are going into the...". The undercarriage of the Varsity was lowered and, at a very low height, the left wing was then seen to drop and the aircraft rolled over, the nose dropped and it crashed inverted. Just before impact the left mainplane severed 11,000 volt electricity supply wires. As the aircraft broke-up on impact, the rear part of the fuselage together with the empennage fell into a drainage ditch some 10 feet deep. The three survivors were seated in rearward facing seats in this part of the fuselage. Two were able to escape from the fuselage but the third was hampered by a broken leg and received severe burns when a wire fence prevented him from leaving the accident area.

The aircraft departed on a sales demo flight to Monterey, CA with potential buyers aboard. En route, the destination was changed to Avalon, CA. Unicom advised the crew of the wind direction and speed on downwind. Witnesses reported the aircraft was slightly high on final, but said the pilot corrected the angle of descent. The aircraft touched down approximately 500 feet down the runway, which was crowned (sloped upward for approximately the 1st 2,000 feet, then leveled off). The crew could not see the end of the runway at touchdown. The thrust reversers were deployed approximately 1,000 feet after touchdown. Witnesses heard the engine sound increase, then decrease, then increase again as the aircraft went off the runway and over a 90 feet bluff. Fire erupted immediately. Within 3 minutes, airport personnel arrived with firefighting equipment, but they were not trained as firefighters and did not try to stop the fire for fear of an explosion. No evidence of a mechanical failure/malfunction was found. Found left flap extended, left spoiler retracted and locked, tire marks on runway. Estimated gross weight: 11,500 lbs. Computed landing distance over a 50 feet obstacle: 3,100 feet. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.

The pilot, sole on board, was completing a demo flight at RAAF Point Cook. While making a low pass, he lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot was killed.

The crew was performing a demo flight at Montreal-Dorval Airport for federal politicians and Canadair officials. Following a single engine low pass over the runway, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed near the runway end. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.