Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 14 May 1958
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-20-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Wheeler Airlines
Registration Number: CF-DME
Location: near Arctic Bay, NU –
ÿ Canada
Phase of Flight: Unknown
Status: Substantial, repaired
Casualties: Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: The DC-3 aircraftThe DC-3 aircraft
Category: Accident
A DC-3 aircraft, performing a VFR cargo flight to Arctic Bay, encountered severe weather conditions ? a scattered cloud or ice fog ? and collided with a snow-covered mountaintop. The collision resulted in fire and subsequent crash.A DC-3 aircraft, performing a VFR cargo flight to Arctic Bay, encountered severe weather conditions ? a scattered cloud or ice fog ? and collided with a snow-covered mountaintop. The collision resulted in fire and subsequent crash.
Description
The DC-3 took off at 10:00 from a DEW-line site for a VFR cargo flight to Arctic Bay. Cruising altitude was 3000 feet. At 65 miles South of Arctic Bay the aircraft encountered a scattered to broken cloud or ice fog condition and the aircraft flew on or 10 minutes without visual reference to the ground. The DC-3 then collided with a 2800 feet high snow-covered mountaintop and became airborne again. With the engines on fire the plane crashed and burned. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The aircraft struck the ground while the pilot was flying on instruments in cloud in an area in which the height of the ground was uncertain.”
Primary Cause
The aircraft struck the ground while flying on instruments in cloud in an area in which the height of the ground was uncertain.The aircraft struck the ground while flying on instruments in cloud in an area in which the height of the ground was uncertain.Share on:
