ASN Aircraft accident Canadair C-4-1 North Star CF-TFW Moose Jaw, SK
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 8 April 1954
Time:10:03 MST
Type:Silhouette image of generic argt model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Canadair C-4-1 North Star
Operator:Trans-Canada Air Lines - TCAL
Registration: CF-TFW
MSN: 150
First flight:
Engines: 4 Rolls-Royce Merlin 622
Crew:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 31 / Occupants: 31
Total:Fatalities: 35 / Occupants: 35
Ground casualties:Fatalities: 1
Collision casualties:Fatalities: 1
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:Moose Jaw, SK (   Canada)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Winnipeg International Airport, MB (YWG/CYWG), Canada
Destination airport:Calgary Municipal Airport, AB (YYC/CYYC), Canada
Flightnumber:9
Narrative:
The Canadair C-4 was on a flight to Vancouver and had been cleared on an IFR flightplan flying at 6000 feet on Green Airway 1 between Winnipeg and Calgary, which was the first intermediate stop.
At 09:57 an RCAF Harvard Mk. II took off from RCAF Station Moose Jaw for a navigation cross-country exercise. The Harvard was climbing to 9000 feet, crossed the Airway at 6000 feet and collided with the C-4. A large portion of the wreckage fell on a house which was destroyed by fire, killing the only occupant. The Harvard pilot and all 35 occupants of the C-4 where also killed.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "1) 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. 2) The Harvard aircraft in crossing the airway climbed through altitudes normally used by aircraft flying along the airway. 3) 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."

Classification:
Mid air collision
Loss of control

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 47-AN/42 (93-96)


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Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Winnipeg International Airport, MB to Calgary Municipal Airport, AB as the crow flies is 1183 km (740 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
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Canadair C-4

  • 71 built
  • 7th loss
  • The first fatal accident
  • The worst accident (at the time)
  • 3rd worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 Canada
  • 3rd worst accident (at the time)
  • 12th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

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