Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

The aircraft was involved in a maritime patrol flight over North Atlantic when an engine failed in flight. The crew decided to divert to Argentia NAS for an emergency landing. On touchdown by night, the right wing failed and the aircraft crashed in flames. A passenger was killed while all other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

The aircraft left Labuan Airport in the day on a maritime patrol flight over the South China Sea, carrying a crew of ten and one police officer. While cruising at low height over the sea, the airplane hit the water surface and crashed. Few hours later, some debris of the airplane and personal effects from the crew were spotted floating on water, about 450 km north of Labuan. All 11 occupants have been killed.

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

The crew departed Incirlik AFB near Adana on a survey flight over Turkey. The mission consisted of an overflight of the region of Trabzon and Van, maintaining a minimum distance of 160 km with the Turkey/Armenia border. The crew passed over the city of Trabzon at an altitude of 25,500 feet and instead of changing its direction to the south bound for Van, the airplane continued to the east. While flying over Armenia at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the Hercules was shot down by an air-air missile fired by the pilot of a Soviet fighter. Out of control, the four engine aircraft dove into the ground and crashed near the city of Talin. Few weeks later, the bodies of six crew members were transferred to the US Authorities while nothing was heard anymore about the 11 intelligence-gathering personnel belonging to the United States Air Force Security Service (USAFSS).

Enroute, the seaplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Brooks Range, in the region of Anaktuvuk Pass. All three occupants were killed.

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.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. No casualties.

The aircraft was carrying a crew of two and two firefighters who should be dropped in the Okanogan National Forest. While flying at low height to drop both passengers, the aircraft was caught by downdrafts and crashed in flames. All four occupants were killed.

While conducting a survey flight, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to attempt an emergency belly landing. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both crew members were slightly injured.

While parked at Otis AFB and prepared for a survey flight, the aircraft suffered an explosion of its central fuel tank. All fifteen occupants (11 passengers and a crew of four) were able to evacuate before the aircraft would be destroyed by fire. It appeared that the center fuel tank had been filled with fuel, despite the fact that it was not supposed to be filled. Through seepage or overflow from that tank the fuel vapors were ignited by electronic equipment being tested during the pre flight procedure.