Northwest Territories

The single engine airplane was on a flight that day from its base at Fort Smith to Salkeld Lake, Northwest Territories. The pilot, after intentionally planning to land as close to the end of the lake as possible, overshot the selected landing area. In an attempted go-around, the aircraft could not out-climb the rising terrain. A tailwind condition prevailed at the time and the Otter was five hundred pounds over gross weight. It collided with the trees, crashed and burned, seriously injuring the two on board.
Source: http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_375.html and Karl E. Hayes.

While descending to Yellowknife Airport, the pilot encountered whiteout conditions. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a wooded area located few km from the airfield. A passenger was injured while two other occupants were killed.

Shortly after takeoff from Fort Simpson Airport, the twin engine airplane encountered difficulties to gain height, truck trees, stalled and crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and there were no casualties.

The airplane departed the Polar Station SP-21 in the early morning on a flight to the North Pole (Arctic region) with six crew members and three scientists (hydrologists) on board, and was used for communications with Soviet submarines cruising in the Arctic zone. The crew found a suitable area to land located about 500 km north of the Queen Elizabeth Islands, NWT. After landing, the scientists proceeded to ice inspection and it was reported that the ice thickness was 47 cm, which was considered as insufficient to leave the aircraft parked for a long period. The decision was taken to leave the area to find another one when the left ski went through the ice, followed shortly later by the right ski. The aircraft was blocked into the ice and impossible to move. Due to the presence of sensible equipments on board, it was decided to destroy the airplane that partially sank. All nine occupants were evacuated two days later by the crew of an Antonov AN-2.

Upon landing on a snow covered runway, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest. Both pilots escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain (6,200 feet high) located in the region of Norman Wells. The wreckage was found few hours later about 200 feet below the summit and both pilots have been killed.

The twin engine airplane departed Cambridge Bay on a mercy flight to Yellowknife, carrying two Inuit patients and a nurse. In unknown circumstances, the aircraft crashed near Hottah Lake, in the region of Great Bear Lake, some 300 km north of Yellowknife. The nurse and a patient were killed while the pilot and the second patient, a boy aged 14, were injured. As the pilot suffered broken bones, the boy helped keep him alive by building a fire and shelter. The pilot resorted to eating flesh from one of the dead passengers while the boy abstained. About three weeks after the accident, the boy died of hunger and cold. On December 7, 1972 a Hercules on a routine mission picked up the ELT of the crashed plane. Shortly after two rescue specialists were dropped but unfortunately only the pilot was still alive.

Crashed in unknown circumstances. Crew fate unknown.

The aircraft was engaged in a SAR mission in the region of Palautuk. While flying by night at a relative low height, the pilot-in-command completed a turn when control was lost. The airplane stalled and crashed, killing all eight occupants.
Crew:
Cpt C. A. Healy,
Cpt S. R. Gitzel,
Cpt P. C. Hodges,
Cpt L. A. Cooper,
Lt D. W. Smart,
Cpl W. E. Platt,
Sgt J. R. Lemieux,
Cpl R. N. Vodden.

The Canso departed Hay River with two pilots on a firefighting mission in the region of Pine Point. While flying at low height, circling around the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed in the same area, the Canso collided with a Field Aviation Catalina registered CF-HTN. Two pilots were on board the Catalina and were also engaged in a firefighting mission. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed and were destroyed, killing all four crew members.