Date & Time: Apr 8, 1954 at 1003 LT
Type of aircraft:
Canadair C-4 North Star
Operator:
Registration:
CF-TFW
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
Schedule:
Winnipeg – Vancouver
MSN:
150
YOM:
1949
Flight number:
TCA223
Location:
Moose Jaw
Saskatchewan
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
31
Pax fatalities:
31
Other fatalities:
1
Total fatalities:
36
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 under IFR rules, the four engine aircraft collided with a RCAF North American T-6 Harvard registered 3309. Sole on board, the pilote just took off from Moose Jaw Airfield for a local training mission. Following the collision, both aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground. The Harvard crash on a golf course while the North Star crashed onto a house located in the suburb of Moose Jaw. The pilot of the Harvard was killed as well as all 35 occupants on board the TCAL aircraft and one people inside the house.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by the following factors:
- Failure on the part of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain a proper lookout, the onus of responsibility for keeping out of the way being with the Harvard aircraft as it had the other on its own right side.
- The Harvard aircraft in crossing the airway climbed through altitudes normally used by aircraft flying along the airway.
- The Board up to the present has been unable to determine whether the window post on the left side of the Canadair C4-1 aircraft hid the Harvard aircraft from view, but there are indications that this was possible.
Final Report:
CF-TFW.pdf3.33 MB