British Columbia

Crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea off Tofino. Despite intense search, no trace of the seaplane nor the ten crew members was found.

The crew was performing a night training mission and departed Abbotsford Airport on the evening of November 9. While low visibility, pilots were unable to locate the mountainous terrain. The four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Flora Lake, Vancouver Island, and was destroyed by impact forces. All 10 crew members were killed. SAR operations were dispatched on a huge area but no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was eventually spotted one year later. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to marginal weather conditions and by night.
Crew (5th OTU):
F/O John Victor Kingdon, 1st pilot,
F/O Morris Morganstein, 2nd pilot,
F/O Frederick Edward Brown,
F/O James Frederick Cooke,
Sgt Frederick Douglas Hafford,
Sgt Sidney Helper,
Sgt Glyn Ivor Jones,
Sgt Thomas MacDonald,
Sgt Ronald May,
Sgt David Peggie Westwater.

The crew was conducting a training exercise from Victoria-Patricia Bay on behalf of the 32th OTU. On approach to Port Hardy, weather conditions were poor with a low visibility and the pilot was unable to localize the airport. The crew followed a circuit over the region but was eventually forced to attempt an emergency landing due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a dense wooded area near Port Hardy. Two crew were killed while the third occupant was injured.
Crew (32th OTU):
P/O J. M. Talbot, †
P/O T. S. Wordlow, †
Sgt T. R. Moss.

The single engine aircraft departed Port Alice at approximately 1350LT. The winds were out of the southeast and the aircraft took off into the wind in the direction of the head of Neroutsos Inlet. Once airborne the aircraft banked to the left, straightening out on a northwest heading in the direction of Coal Harbour. Now flying with the wind, somewhere over the mill site the aircraft experienced a sudden downdraft, possibly due to the warmer air over the mill area. The aircraft lost lift and entered a stall. In order to regain from the stall the nose of the aircraft was pushed down and power applied but as the Norseman aircraft were under powered a recovery was not possible. The aircraft was heading directly into a rooming house and homes along the main street of the town site. The only place not inhabited was the ball field, just over top of the general store to the right. The aircraft banked right from its flight path, stalled completely, and crashed into the unoccupied ball field near the fuel storage tanks. Sgt Powell, Major Moore and L/Br Scrivenor were killed instantly. W/O Eccles, severely injured was trapped in the wreckage as fuel leaking from the aircraft wreckage ignited and the aircraft caught fire. Sgt. Barker had been thrown clear of the crash on impact. Injured and dazed, Sgt Barker regained his thoughts and made numerous desperate attempts to enter the burning wreckage fighting off the flames and finally succeeded in rescuing W/O Eccles from burning to death. Despite the heroic efforts of Sgt Barker, W/O Eccles later died in the Port Alice Hospital as a result of his injuries.
Pilot:
WOII J. J. Eccles. †
Passengers:
Sgt H. R. Barker,
Major J. J. Moore, paymaster, †
Sgt L. A. Powell, accounts, †
L/Br E. G. Scrivenor, security. †
Source & photos: http://www.101nisquadron.org/?page_id=690

The crew was completing a training mission at Qualicum Beach when on final approach, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames onto a house. All three crew members were killed while there were no casualties on the ground.

While cruising at an altitude of 7,000 feet by night and in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Cheam located near the Fraser Valley, in the region of Chilliwack. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the 13 occupants was found. The wreckage was spotted by hunters in August 1943.

The twin engine aircraft left Patricia Bay Airport in the early morning to perform a navigation exercise over the Vancouver Island. En route, the crew encountered poor visibility and the aircraft failed to return. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On October 25, 2013, almost 71 years later, hikers found the wreckage in a hilly and wooded area located near Mesachie Lake.
Crew (32nd OTU):
Sgt Robert Ernest Luckock, pilot,
Sgt William Baird, wireless operator,
P/O Charles George Fox, navigator,
P/O Anthony William Lawrence, navigator.

En route, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reason. In low visibility due to fog, the twin engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed near the Vancouver University. While the aircraft was written off, all five crew members were rescued.

The crew was performing a training exercise out from Patricia Bay airbase. En route, while cruising off Thormanby Island, the left engine failed. The captain decided to ditch the aircraft and all five crew members were quickly rescued while the aircraft was lost and later recovered.

The crew departed Patricia Bay Airport on a local training exercise. This was the first solo flight for the crew. After approaching for a landing, the pilot proceeded to make another circuit. The airplane appeared to climb slowly and when in the vicinity of Shoal Harbor was seen to assume a steep dive from which it never recovered. The airplane crashed into the sea off Patricia Bay Airport. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Sgt William Miller Hatfield, pilot,
P/O Bruce Hutchinson, wireless operator and air gunner.