I came across this photo by Erik Charlton on Flickr.com

So which aircraft is this? It looks like a Fokker F.27 Friendship, but of which airline and which tailnumber?

Jan F.Homma wrote: "This is Fairchild F-27 (c/n 114) of Great Northern Airways (CF-GNG), which crashed on 20 Dec.1969.

Then Aad van der Voet (www.oldwings.nl) responded: "Most sources claim that CF-GNG ran off an icy runway at Inuvik, NWT on 20Dec69. But this photo was not taken at Inuvik. The caption mentions "Arctic tundra", and the tags say Resolute Bay on Cornwallis Island, which is 1500 km from Inuvik...
Some sources also mention a different accident date for CF-GNG: 14Feb70.
Was CF-GNG perhaps repaired after its mishap at Inuvik, only to crash again almost 2 months later? Or was there only one accident, which then obviously did not occur at Inuvik at all?
Or does this photo perhaps show a different aircraft?"

Dave Brosha seems to have photos of this aircraft too in his Arctic folder www.flickr.com/photos/brosha

Frans van Zelm responded to above email exchange: "This is Fairchild F-27J CF-GND (c/n 113) which crashlanded at Resolute Bay 12Jun68 (afaik; conflicting data is reported: also 15Jun68 is mentioned...).
F-27J CF-GNG (114) crashed at Inuvik 20Dec69. Registration was cancelled 14Feb70."

Also visible in Google Earth/Maps at 74.67265N  94.5879W
maps.google.com/?q=74.67265N%20%2094.5879W&t=k&z=16

Kalman Feher wrote (in Nov.2010):
"It had Lorne Christiansen as one of the pilots, I believe they'd run out of fuel. He told me
the story himself but I forgot the details..."

Bob Cameron wrote me in Feb.2011:
"To clarify a little bit the confusion about the F-27 wreck at Resolute Bay: Great Northern Airways did have
TWO F-27 accidents!
I do not know the details of the Resolute Bay one, but Danny Bereza in his book 'the Big Dipper Route' describes the Inuvik accident in minute detail, as he was the co-pilot on it..." 

Tom Frook wrote in March 2011 (back on GNG, though that's not the one we are discussing here):
"CF-GNG was operating a crewchange charter on behalf of PanArctic Oils Ltd. The aircraft had departed Edmonton, then to Yellowknife for refuel then on to Rea Point on Melville Island.
After departure from Yellowknife, the weather at Rea Point went to minimums, the aircraft continued as planned and attempted a landing at Rea Point. Weather was severe enough that a decision was made to divert to the alternate airport, namely Resolute Bay.
The Resolute Bay weather was just at minimums, and after missing the first approach, the crew were attempting a second try and exhausted their fuel on the downwind leg...
The aircraft impacted just to the East of runway 35, where it sits today.
The Captain was Ernest George Adolphe, don't know the First Officer. Ernie was a wonderful man, a terrific friend and a great pilot. "

Peter C. Hill sent me this in May 2017 on the location of the F.27 CF-GNG of Great Northern, near Resolute Bay:

Daniel Bourque wrote me in Feb.2018 on Fairchild F-27J CF-GND and he included this picture:

Daniel wrote: 'Here a bad quality picture (sorry) of the crashed plane CF-GND. I took it in august 1975 while on training in the Artic with the Canadian army. Years later, I talked to a friend (a plane mechanic) of one of my sisters who was teaching in Nunavik in the 70s. He knew the story of the plane landing, but I can’t remember details. At that time I visited the site, people were removing wiring and stuff inside the airplane, but it was in one piece.
As far as I remember, the were no crash markings on the ground so they probably landed on the snow.'

'ETTW' posted on the AvCanada forum 2 images of wrecks, suitable of unclusion on this page, I think...

When I asked who made these photos, and when, I was replied: "Cannot remember which copilot took them, but I believe they were both taken in the summer of 2006."
Above is CF-IHQ, a Curtiss C-46A Commando, which while operating for Wheeler Airlines on the DEW Line project, was written off on 25Mar60.
The report on Aviation Safety Network states- "Location: DEW Site 28, NU (Canada), Curtiss CF-IHQ took off from a dewline airstrip at 00:27 for a flight to another airstrip. The aircraft was on the downwind leg when it struck the ground at 780 feet asl."
Also on www.baaa-acro.com

Peter C. Hill responded to this (may 2017): "On careful review, I'm pretty sure it is a photo of snow covered C-46 CF-IHQ; the tail markings appear the same and the angle of the propeller on the LH engine.
All the windows obviously line up for a similar aircraft type. No guarantees, but something to think about."
-Peter Hill former (First Air/Bradley Air Services DHC-6 captain)

Peter again (6-2023): "..with help from Patrick Nagle in Iqaluit, he provided the co-ordinates for CF-IHQ, south of
the old Sarcpa Lake DEW line site by about 5 miles: https://satellites.pro/Canada_map#68.486868,-83.219420,19 "

Another sad C-46 Commando: CF-HEI.

C/n 22419 was written off 09Aug61 at Scapa Sarcpa Lake,NU.
On ABPic is an image of when it was in use by Dorval Air Transport.
Here is a link to Google Maps to see how remote Hall Beach (bySarcpa Lake), Nunavut really is...
'ETTW' added to these images: CF-IHQ is still there, it is on the opposite side of the lake from the site, while CF-HEI is now in a hole in the ground covered by gravel during the cleanup of the site..."

Peter C. Hill wrote me (may 2017): "I had the opportunity to visit CF-HEI when I was the base manager
in nearby Hall Beach, in 1978. I will also take the opportunity to correct the name of the lake: it is
Sarcpa Lake. You have two spellings 'Scapa' and 'Scarpa', but it is in fact 'Sarcpa'.

Search and Rescue in Nunavut volunteers use the wreck as a target for spotter training. The winter photo (upper left) was taken by Kenn Borek pilot Marcel Siegenthaler during a training run in January 2012.
The engines have been removed and much of the useful material stripped.
And it now serves as a shelter for hunters, as you can see in this summer photo (below) taken by Patrick Nagle.

This photo was grabbed from the AvCanada forum (topic), posted by 'HotShots21' (alias for
Alex St-Gelais) with comments "CF-CPA a Lockheed Lodestar forced landed in the 60's."
[Date of photo: August 2007]

CF-CPA is Lodestar c/n 18-2177 and the subject of serious intentions to recover it. Its location is near Weeks Lake or Schefferville,QUE and it found this resting spot when it was forced down by fuel starvation.

"This Lockheed 18 Lodestar was one of those slated to join the Dutch East Indies Air Force in Java in 1940 where it was to have been given the serial number LT-926. However, when the Japanese overran Java, the Lodestar was diverted (seized, might be a better term) by the U.S. Government to the Army Air Corps as a C-60-LO and given the serial number 42-108787. The Army Air Corps never used the plane and released it to Canadian Pacific Air Lines in the early 1940s...." MORE: www.cf-cpa.ca/en/history.shtml

Peter C. Hill wrote me 31Aug24:
"Just a quick email with another update for you regarding CF-CPA, while Google Maps coverage is at a lower resolution and does not show up at all... the alternative -with the same coordinates- does show the airframe with the recognizable T-tail with the twin rudders!
https://satellites.pro/Canada_map#55.193768,-68.523176,19
If one zooms out, about 3 clicks to level 15, the nearby "Lac du CF-CPA" is identified." ☺

That same thread provided also these 2 photos of a Bristol Freighter... A sad sight!
Klimman123 provided these photos and also this clarification:
The Bristol Freighter is laying on the shore of Beaver Lodge Lake in NWT; about 150nm northwest of Yellowknife.
From what I could find out, it seems it went through the ice one year while servicing a uranium mine in the 1960s. It was hauled on shore and salvaged.

Heard it belonged to Max Ward back in the ol'days. I didn't get a chance to poke around her or find out it's registration. Found it just 3 weeks (July 2006) ago."

I would welcome the name of the photographer for a proper credit.

Aad van de Voet provided the following details: "This is Bristol 170 Freighter Mk.31 CF-TFZ, c/n 13139, which was flying for Pacific Western Airlines at the time. It crashed there on 30 May 1956, only two months after PWA had acquired it..."
Thanks Aad!

Dirk Septer added the following:
"It was one of the three originally purchased by Trans Canada Airlines (later Air Canada). These aircraft were totally unsuited for this airline's requirements and were soon sold off to smaller Canadian operators.
CF-TFZ crashed on May 30, 1956 after only flying with Pacific Western Airlines for 2 months. It was damaged beyond repair after the undercarriage sank through the ice. Upon landing the port landing gear broke through the ice and the aircraft fell on its wing, bending the spars and crushing the sides of the fuselage....
The remains were later hauled onto the shore and stripped for parts. It was then left there on the shore.
Many off these Bristols had short careers with Canadian operators, mostly lost during landing accidents. For example Lambair, quoting Jack Lamb in his book 'My life in the North' (p. 151 ): "We operated four Bristol Freighters, and crashed four!" It seems one was in service with them for only two months, while the second was lost after flying only 35 hours for them!"
Dirk Septer

Sean Barry zoomed past and sent me these photos, which I believe were taken in Feb.2007

In July 2007 Dean Steer sent me photos of the 1956 accident, taken by his father Keith Steer at the time!
And Jason Pineau has photos taken on 12OCT2010: www.flickr.com/photos/jspitfire/

In Dec.2007 I received following email:
"The salvage rights for the Beaverlodge Bristol 170 have been secured from Air Canada (AC is the successor firm to Pacific Western Airlines). I am trying to find a museum or preservation group who would be willing to recover and restore the plane.
Unfortunately, several Canadian museums have begged off due to the anticipated high costs.
I also reached out to the people at the Bristol Aero Collection but that may not fly as they were already finalizing arrangements for a Bristol fuselage in Australia.
If you know any museum people..???

Anyone with any sightings (or fate) after Dec.1970 of Lambair's Bristol Freighter CF-WAC:
Bill of sale recorded 20Nov70 from Wardair to Lambair Ltd, The Pas,MB, and registered to them that date. Lasted only 37 flying hours with them before being lost in a non-fatal landing accident when it crashed 19Dec70 at Trout Lake, Manitoba, (95.50 N 94.00 W) on landing in muddy conditions.
Swung off runway and substantially damaged fuselage and wings. WFU with TT 11,707 hrs. Canx 7 Apr 71.

Jerry Vernon added to this: 90° West is not in Manitoba,, it runs up through Northwestern Ontario... Big Trout Lake, Ontario is bisected by the 90° West meridian, at just below 54° North;  Big Trout Lake is the village of the Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation!! They were formerly known simply as the Big Trout Lake First Nation.
But..... there is also a Trout Lake and a Little Trout Lake adjacent to it elsewhere in Northwestern Ontario, near the famous mining town of Red Lake, at about 93° West/51° North;  Lambair could have been flying in there too!!

Dirk Septer added the following:
"Lambair’s 3rd Bristol crash took place on the dirt strip at Trout Lake,Ont.
It was a carbon copy of the landing accident (of Bristol ‘YDO) at Repulse Bay. Bob Shinnie, the Captain, wandered off the centerline during the landing rollout, hit a pile of frozen mud, and collapsed the gear of the Bristol.
His load of 25 drums of diesel fuel went scooting out the nose doors of the aircraft! We had just bought this particular Bristol from Max Ward. It was only in our service for 35 hours... ouch!"

Dirk added the following information he found on the 'long-nosed' CF-QWJ:
"By acquiring long-nosed CF-QWJ, Lambair became the only non-European operator of this Superfreighter. On May 31, 1974, QWJ crashed while en route from Churchill to Rankin Inlet with a load of insulated sewer pipe and empty fuel tanks. Turning final to land at Rankin, the Bristol kept on rolling, striking the sea ice inverted. The crew of two were killed but the actual cause of accident was never determined.
Bristol CF-QWJ would also become the last flying long nosed Freighter in commercial service, and possibly the last one flying in any configuration... The other two remaining Superfreighters had not flown since the demise of Midland Air Cargo and were derelict by then. G-APAU was at Lasham and ‘AV was withdrawn at Coventry. When no buyers were found, after some considerable time, G-APAV made one last flight.... to Lasham for scrapping."

W.Byers wrote me on 07Feb2025: "My uncle was in the right seat of that plane (CF-WAC ) when it crashed at Big Trout Lake!
We were JUST having a discussion about it this morning and found the page when he remembered the tail number.
I'm hoping to get his log books for it soon.
A little of the story (as it came from him yesterday, he's 85 and said he probably blocked some of it out for good reasons, ��
He was in the right seat doing a check ride for the pilot in the left seat. He doesn't remember his name but we are going to look for it in his logs... He thinks his name was shiny or something like that..?
They were on approach to a dirt strip at Big Trout Lake, Ontario and they came in too fast, he figures about 140-150 mph and hit the strip too hard and sunk the gear into the strip and collapsed the gear.
He remembers their payload coming out the front
His leg was damaged in the crash, which he still suffers from to this day. (Which is how we ended up in the discussion about it which made me stumble upon your page). I'm going to keep talking about it with him and try to get more of these stories from him before he passes.
I'm also going to get all his log books which he says he still has!"

The above discussion on the identity of the Beech 18 remains, seen from the air & photographed by Jason Pineau, initially also led to other candidates.
Mick Butt offered the following candidates as a start to find the identity of this mystery wreck-
"Aviation Databases gives a couple of possible candidates for the Beech 18. They are both recorded as W/O... no details known, and were both based in the Northern Territories.
C-FMBO of Air Sahtu Ltd, c/n 7751 type Beech C18S
C-FYQB of Arctic Wings & Rotors Ltd, c/n A-0753/CA-153 type Beech Expeditor 3N
The latter aircraft was with Arctic Wings & Rotors Ltd from 27 November 1991, until it was deleted from the register on 19 July 1994, according to the Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers website.
Of course, if the crashed example wasn’t based in the Northern Territories then it could be one of many other examples!"
[Update: C-FYQB A-753/CA-153 (Beech 3NM). Manufactured Apr52 - was reported in Air-Britain News (Oct94) as registration cancelled Jul94, as destroyed by fire. -Robert Parmerter]

Sep.2016 I received an email plus photo from Brian Lowe:
"I was browsing your website and came across the article on the possible identity of the wreck off near Sawmill Bay, possibly being a Beech 18 of Air Sahtu. 
I can verify for you that is not that wreck..! 
I lived up there in Ft Franklin in 1987;  the pilot of C-FMBO was close family friend and my father worked with Air Sahtu.  I remember the story,  it all came back to me when I read the article documenting loss of right engine oil pressure, 9 aboard and so on..
I was just a child when that happened. I know a bit about the story as we were living up there, the pilot was a dear friend of my father's. I remember they all headed out on snowmobiles to get everyone off the plane! I beliove there was one broken arm or a simular minor injury. I grew up in those planes doing deliveries all over the North with them. Ed was well known for loading these birds right to their max.
Here is a pic of C-FMBO sitting on the ice in 1987."

Beech 18 C-FMBO at Fort Franklin, 1987 - photo provided by Brian Lowe

History of CF-MBO, as compiled by Bob Parmerter.
C/n 7751 Beech C-45F
44-47361 USAAF deliv 21st FG Palm Springs, CA 29Sep44.
Accid 25Nov44 Palm Springs, CA grnd collision (assg to 560 Base Unit). 501 Base Unit Langley Fld, DC.
Accid 12Jun46 Langley Fld, DC while landing (assg 501 BU). Maxwell Flt Svc, MATS Maxwell AFB.
Accid 18May53 Corinth Munic, MS while landing (assg Maxwell Flt Svc).
Reclam compl Hill AFB 6Oct54. Delogra Avn Corp, Ft Lauderdale, FL (CAR Nov61) as C18S N6799C.
Joe G. Marrs, Avon Park, FL (CAR Jun63) modif for floats.
William H. Magie (Wilderness Wings Airways), Ely, MN (CAR Jul64, Jan71).
Export certif 27May71 (Wilderness Wings) to Taber Lake Airways, Prince George, BC  as CF-MBO.
Lsd to Columbia Airlines Ltd, Prince George, BC 4Jun71.
Wolverine Airlines, BC reg’d 7Jul75.
Parsons Airways Northern, Man reg’d 8Aug75.
Wildwood Airlines Inc, St James, BC (CCAR Sep76)
Photog May79 orange overall with white fuselage stripe & trim with Wildwood titles and large Playboy Bunny on tail.
Sale reported (CCAR Sep81).
Lsd by Turn Air Ltd, Yellowknife, NWT 17May82.
Spur Avn, Yellowknife, NWT (CCAR Jun84).
Air Sahtu, Ft Franklin, NWT.
Accid 7May87 Ft Franklin, NWT (17 mi ENE) when rt engine lost oil pressure & severely vibrating-shut it down & emergency landing on ice of Great Bear Lake. 9 aboard (1 seriously inj) rescued 3 hrs later by snowmobiles. It was over gross wt & reg’d as C-FMBO.
Regis canx Aug93.

Sean Barry sent me these photos, of York CF-HMX at Hall Lake,Nunavut; taken on 23may09:

Aviation Safety Network has the following:
Avro 685 York C1 CF-HMX (c/n ?) of Arctic Wings struck a snow bank at Hall Lake,NU on 12APR1955.
(Arctic Wings apparently was a sub-company of Spartan Airways, details welcomed).


The Avro York had a somewhat unlucky career in Canada's Arctic North; 3 Yorks crashed in 6 weeks in the spring of '55, 7 in 18 months, 2 on the same day 13 Sept 56...

The Avro York was a British transport aircraft that was derived from the WW2 Lancaster heavy bomber, and used in both military and airliner roles between 1943 and 1964.
Production orders included 50 civilian Yorks and 208 military versions to the RAF – many of which subsequently passed into civilian hands. During the Berlin Airlift, Yorks flew over 58,000 sorties – close to half of the British contribution, alongside the Douglas Dakota and Handley Page Hastings. During wartime years they also served as VIP transport aircraft.
In the postwar years, BOAC used Yorks on their Cairo to Durban service, which had previously been worked by Shorts flying-boats. They were also used by British South American Airways and by many independent airlines on both passenger and freight flights.
When the Distant Early Warning Line (Dew Line) was being constructed in Canada in the late 1950s, the Avro York was introduced as a freighter by Associated Airways. At least one of the Yorks, CF-HAS, was retained, and was in service with Transair as late as 1961. [Wikipedia]

Lee Cormie sent me these images of CF-HMX at Hall Lake, and sent me his shots, which he took in 1972 when it was in slightly better shape...

Jay Ladell wrote me in April 2010: "My grandfather, Captain Josef Cermak (RAF), died in a York (CF-HMV) during the same time running the DEW Line flights as CF-HMX. He crashed at Thoa River on 29Sep1955. The plane CF-HMV sank, but the co-pilot survived on the aircraft wing, which broke-off and remained at the surface. I imagine the plane is still there in shallow waters? We would love to find-out the actual location of the crash, but the Thoa River seems fairly long. Here are two links about the crash: http://aviation-safety.net news.google.ca/newspapers If you happen to come across anything, please let me know..?"

Jay himself came up with this: "I just found this account and sketch (www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/s,fm159york.html) of the crash from one of the people involved in the rescue effort. While his account is missing specifics, the date, location and details of the crash definitely line-up with those of my grandfather's crash!" See below newspaper clippings, sent by Robin Weber!

-+|+- UPDATE Dec.2018, newspaper clippings from 1955 kindly sent to me by Robin Weber: 'Search for York and crew continues', newspaper clipping from News of the North, 07Oct1955. Note the name of the co-pilot is misspelled: Lossie instead of Lozie (see article below) 'Co-pilot Gerhardt Lozie of crashed York CF-HMV survives on the wing of the aircraft' 'Associated Airways gives up its DEW Line contract'

Sean Keating made me aware of the images of a Pacific Western Airlines Avro York C.1 on Henry Tenby's 'Photo & Video Mega Port' www.AirlineFan.com: "CF-HFP. Syd Burrows was an F/L with the RCAF at Cape Perry (PIN Main) overseeing the contruction of the DEW Line in 1956/1957. During his time in the North he took a number of slides. Syd was fortunate enough to be on hand when PWA York CF-HFP overshot the runway while landing at Cape Perry, NWT on April 13, 1956. The colour slide was one of several he took within a few hours of the incident." Prints of these images can be obtained through the link above.   Dr. Stéphane Guevremont, Aviation Historian of Mount Royal University / University of Calgary, Vice-President, CAHS YYC sent me the following update on 06Jul11: "These photos were taken last week by a pilot from Abitibi Helicopters based in Springbank, Calgary. You are welcomed to add them to your website. " Photos by Jack Crawshaw

Two images sent by Pat Donaghy in Jan.2014 (below), he wrote "..a couple pictures of CF-HAS that were taken by Hugh F. Bunn, one in 1968 and another some years later. 
HAS was used by TransAir of Winnipeg in the 50s and 60s on DEW Line resupply operations and was abandoned by them at The Pas airport in Manitoba. 
Later it was towed down the road and parked at the intersection of Highway #10 where it was eventually destroyed by vandalism and fire."

Came across this photo of Buffalo's C-FNJE Tanker 702 (PBY-5A c/n CV-437) at the AvCanada website.

It flipped over while scooping water Sitidgi Lake, NWT 24Jul2001. It was recovered from the seabed and brought ashore for repairs.

Curtis voluteered the following on the CV-Canso Yahoo forum:
"The Alberta Aviation Museum in Edmonton is trying to recover it as Buffalo Airways donated 'NJE to the museum about one year ago.
But the local native people in the area of Inuvik have been giving Buffalo (and now the museum) a hard time about the aircraft being on their land and about crossing their land to bring CF-NJE to Inuvik for further transportation south...
There are no heavy lift helecopters in the NWT, so the only way to get NJE to Inuvik is to tow her in the winter on ski's across the native land."

In March 2008 I was informed 'NJE had been sold by Buffalo A/W to a private party: Don Wieben of Alberta.
During April he and his son Greg went over to have a look; this resulted in a move (after almost 7 years of desolate storage) on 20Apr08, when transport reached Dempster Highway and headed for Inuvik that day. On 10Oct08 C-FNJE was loaded on a barge and headed for Hay River., a 7-10 day trip; At Hay River Don and his crew removed the wings and on 04Nov08 moved it from Hay River to Fairview Alberta;
the wing was put on a Redstar Farms 48 foot long high boy trailor, mounted high with lots of overhang.
The airframe we was put on a Capstan Hauling out of Grand Prairie long double drop trailor.
The roads were terrible much of the way with freezing rain and snow much of the way, but the crew got things done.
The ultimate goal is to restore 'NJE to flying condition, tour the western Canada air shows and do one epic journey with it... Go for it!

See the website www.savethecanso.com

Here is a 2012 photo by Nigel Hitchman who visited the farm at Fairview in 2012:
Canso PBY-5A C-FNJE (CV-437) under restoration of the Fairview Aircraft Restoration Society (FARS). This Canso was flown as RCAF 11094 on anti-submarine missions during WW2 and remained in military service until 1961. The aircraft was then, reg'd as CF-NJE, converted by Field Aviation into a pestcontrol sprayer.
After the bugs had gone, several companies used the amphibian (now reg'd C-FNJE) as a waterbomber, fighting forest fires. While in use with Buffalo Airways, as Tanker 702, it was damaged and went down in the waters of Sitidgi Lake near Inuvik (NWT) on 24Jul2001. (Source- Scramble magazine, #454, march 2017 issue).

I understand that the correct designation of C-FNJE is Consolidated 28-5AMC Canso, as it is an ex/ RCAF aircraft and not a former US Navy aircraft.

UPDATE Feb.2017 'First flight after restoration fast approaching!'
On the WIX (Warbirds) forum I read an update on the process of restoration of C-FNJE.
"One of Buffalo's former Waterbombers that crashed in 2001 is set to fly once again after a 9 year restoration: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/canso-airplane-fairview-1.3976241 ¬Nola Keeler · CBC News · Posted: 12Feb17.
Someone replied: 'According to the Canadian Military Aircraft Serial Numbers website, it was RCAF 11094.'
"It's a Canso A as opposed to a Canso. It was built by Canadian Vickers but not all built there were Canso As. They built a large number of OA-10A Catalinas for the USAAF too."

I learned that on 18Jun2017 C-FNJE made '1st post-restoration flight'. Congratulations!

Kenneth Swartz sent me this (Dec.2022): '..sending this link to a YouTube video that you will probably enjoy.
It combines a CBC Radio interview done in 2008 about the recovery of PBY-5 Canso, C-FNJE from the Arctic with various photos and video taken of the salvage project at the time.
It was posted to YouTube in July 2022.'
https://youtu.be/BFKSR5QFnqI.

"I have searched your site mostly off airport and friends & guests photos and found many photos and much great detail on arctic wrecks but have not found any on the various Avro York hulks dotted about the Canadian landscape... Have I missed them ?
These are the ones I have traced so far. More digging to be done !
Odd that two show the same date 'HFP and 'HFQ 13th September 1956.

CF-HFP Cape Perry, Northwest Territories .........................13/9/56
CF-HFQ Fox, Northwest Territories .....................................13/9/56
CF-HIQ 33Kms South of Rankin Inlet, Hudson Bay ...........8/1/57
CF-HMU Fort Chimo, Quebec .................................................24/1/56
CF-HMV Thoa River S.E. of YellowKnife .............................29/9/55
CF-HMW 44kms N. of Chimo Quebec ...................................26/9/56
CF-HMX Hall Lake, Northwest Territories ........................12/4/55
CF-HMY Edmonton ....................................................................26/5/55
CF-HMZ YellowKnife ................................................................11/4/55
./ David S. Truman

Received following in March 2024: 'My name is Ethan Hrabovski and I am on the hunt for an Avro 685 York C.1 plane, registration CF-HMW, that crashed September 26th 1956 44km N of Kuujjuaq. The pilot of this plane, R.J. Rushbrook, is the grandfather of a friend of mine. He is looking for the exact location of the crash.'
I told him I could not help him with more exact details(other than 44 km N of Chime, QUE) and suggested to use better software than Google Maps and/or charter a helicopter to explore the area...
EMAIL to Webmaster RL.

Ethan wrote me (04-2025): "We were able to find the crash site of the plane we were searching for! Here is a google maps link to the location, the plane is clearly visible in the photo--> https://maps.app.goo.gl/dQ96izcgGPxiMxtw6?g_st=com.google.maps.preview.copy "

I received an email from Jay Ladell (4-2025):
"Hello Ruud, I wrote you a number of years ago about trying to find my grandfather's Avro York CF-HMV.
I thought I would let you know that we found it a couple of years ago, submerged in an unnamed lake.
We will be flying up to visit the site this summer to install a memorial plaque as this is where my grandfather died.
I saw the following on your website today: Received following in March 2024: 'My name is Ethan and I am on the hunt for an Avro 685 York C.1 plane, registration CF-HMW, that crashed September 26th 1956 44km N of Kuujjuaq. The pilot of this plane, R.J. Rushbrook, is the grandfather of a friend of mine. He is looking for the exact location of the crash.'
I thought I might reach out to help Ethan and his friend with some pointers if they haven't found his grandfather's plane yet." (RL: I put them in contact with each other).

Charles P. O'Dale shared these images on Facebook (published with permission), of the remains of the crashed Douglas C-54D (military DC-4 variant) 272616 (USAAF 42-72616); googling I found a crash date: 500410, which I would presume to be 10Apr1950. See www.accident-report.com/Serials/1942z.htm
This website www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/1950s/1950Apr.htm confirms the date, states it belonged to 1227ABG based at Goose Bay, Labrador. This website mentions the crash site at Prince Patrick Island, of which Wikipedia has this to say: "Prince Patrick Island is uninhabited. A High Arctic Weather Station ("HAWS") and associated airstrip called Mould Bay were opened in 1948 as part of a joint Canada-US military effort to support a weather station network."
Alan Sim pointed out to me (oct.2015) that the 2nd website has two different C-54s (2nd: 43-17245) listed as having crashed there on that very same date, which looks a bit odd...
But www.accident-report.com/world/namerica/canada/canada.html confirms this. What tragedy happened there that date?

But Craig Fuller, webmaster of www.AviationArchaeology.com, wrote me that C-54D 42-72616 was actually involved in 3 crashes! And it was 10Oct1952, when it was finally destroyed.
Charles confirms year 1952 for the cras=h date, if you read on.

This is what Craig Fuller contributed (2013):
"... if you search the master database by serial number at www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaf.htm
you get both accidents, plus a third this plane was in:

Looks like the 10 OCT 1952 accident is the one where it was actually written off and the accident you have photos of.
A damage of 4 in the D column means write-off damage for this time period. LACGL in Action is Landing Accident Ground Loop (GC is Ground Collision)."
Craig Fuller
AAIR Aviation Archaeological Investigation & Research

Charles P O'Dale wrote:
ALERT, Nunavut Canada - "A good landing is one in which everyone can walk away from the aircraft; this was a GOOD landing. Unfortunately, it was not an excellent landing as the aircraft was not re-usable...
Date: October 1952 - DC4 - USAF"
(Note the date is incorrect as compared to both websites above -Webmaster)

I (webmaster) also found this on C-54 272616:
Msn (c/n) 10721:
194? The aircraft was ordered for the United States Army Air Force (USAAF) as 42-72616.
194? The aircraft was allocated to Task Force 1.5.4 to Support the Crossroads Atomic Bomb Tests.
On: www.cnapg.net/dc4.htm

An item on Facebook (Feb.2016) quoted a link to the Urban Ghosts website, showing a stranded C-47 at Isachsen. The website quoted the photographer as Derrick Midwinter who displayed the images on Flickr.com.

The above image clearly shows the identity: 316062 (which translates to 43-16062, c/n 20528).
I found a thorough description of this abandoned plane wreck on Aad van der Voet's website: LINK
It includes the coördinates of the location, should one be interested in a visit!
Amazing to note that this Douglas C-47 at Isachsen featured in an episode op BBC's Top Gear!

Derrick replied me: "Happy to provide these images for your website!"
"The shots were from our helicopter, just got lucky on the angle and time of day for it to turn out nice."

Someone responded on that same Facebook post a screendump from BBC's Top Gear.

Peter C. Hill wrote me in June 2023: "referencing the Isachsen DC-3 43-16062, c/n 20528.
I have found it on Google Maps (bottom image) for you. Then I wasn't aware of HERE WeGo for high resolution
pics until after I sent the first (bottom image) e-mail, but here is the same area with a much better screenshot!"

That summer we took accident investigators to a tragic accident when 2 Canso water bombers collided not that far from Fort Smith near a lake; possibly it was near Pilot Lake, just north along a river and another lake...
Have you ever heard of that accident or have any photos sent to you referring to it?
This was mid-summer 1973.
I have photos of other crashed types, but not of those that crashed in NWT; it still interests me to view the north and the aircraft that did not make it!
I flew once for Reindeer Airways from Inuvik on a DC-3 with an Inuit pilot named Tommy Gordon.
Also few for Northward, on Twin Otter, from Inuvik and later on the Do.228 out of same location with a good man named Bob Heath; he sadly crashed in Antarctica few years ago.

Around 1974, when I was in Red Deer, a man named Gordon Magnuson, whom I worked for (as a load master on a
DC-3), was killed in a crash of his spray plane in the summer season; somewhere in in central Alberta.
Magnuson owned a company called Candel Aviation and they owned Lockheed 18 and DC-3's, flying oil field supplies to Inuvik and Norman Wells.
Also, when we flew with Northward, we often passed an aircraft that crashed into the rocky out crops cliffs within 20 miles north of Norman Wells.

I share these points and persons named above in case you have come across any of them over the years and can share any news that would mean a lot to me.

I am now 64 and only a few more years to work in Aviation except to instruct PPL's because I hold a instructors rating still. I often work in Africa now in humanitarian programs; we see so many crash sites of Russian planes, they are scattered all over the region of Kenya, Sudan, DRC and Uganda. That's another story!

Kind regards
D.B.(Don)Todd
Aviaton Safety & Quality Mgr.

To email me, click on the image and write the correct adress as given below
(replace -AT- by the @ symbol).

Sorry for the inconvenience, but this is because spam has increasingly become a problem.