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| Date: | Sunday 7 November 1971 |
| Time: | 21:30 LT |
| Type: |  Sikorsky CH-124A Sea King (S-61B) |
| Owner/operator: | Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) |
| Registration: | 12420 |
| MSN: | 61-286 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 4 |
| Other fatalities: | 0 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Atlantic Ocean, about 200 nm S of Sable Island, Nova Scotia -
 Atlantic Ocean
|
| Phase: | Initial climb |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) |
| HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) |
The CH-124 of HS 50 had just departed the destroyer HMCS Nipigon (DDH 266) on completion of a hot fuel/crew change to conduct a night screening mission, when it suffered a single engine failure and attempted to return to the ship for immediate recovery. Carrying out a low level turn in a black moonless night and dumping fuel the pilots probably failed to notice a low rotor RPM state that culminated in an uncontrolled crash. Lt(N) Allan Edward Dick, Lt Lawrence Michael Ostaficiuk and observer L/S John Osborne Ross McCrea were killed. The sole survivor was the navigator Capt Owen Kenneth McClean, who managed to egress the submerged aircraft through a side window and was rescued with minor injuries by a boat from the destroyer.
As a result of this accident, a low rotor aural/visual warning system was subsequently incorporated and the engine failure procedure for Sea King helicopters was revised to ensure future emergency situations would be conducted in a more methodical and measured manner.
Sources:
https://www.helis.com/database/cn/8137/
https://caspir.warplane.com/documents/aircraft/200000416-002.pdf
https://skybrary.aero/sites/default/files/bookshelf/2665.pdf
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 27-Dec-2009 00:13 | TB | Added |
| 28-Dec-2009 12:38 | TB | Updated [Nature, ] |
| 28-Dec-2009 12:38 | TB | Updated [Aircraft type, Source, ] |
| 25-Aug-2011 07:11 | Uli Elch | Updated [Operator, Source, ] |
| 05-Sep-2011 06:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Country, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 05-Sep-2011 06:04 | Dr. John Smith | Updated |
| 05-Sep-2011 06:08 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Total fatalities, Source, ] |
| 20-Nov-2012 13:16 | KellyBermuda | Updated [Source, Narrative, ] |
| 21-Dec-2012 10:44 | TB | Updated [Date, Time, Operator, Location, Source, Narrative, ] |
| 02-Mar-2025 13:38 | Tetrapack | Updated [Cn, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative, ] |
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