Sunday, April 22, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
We have read about the "exploits" of the Otter in Canada, and how well "she" did her job, opening the "north". We have read about her with the U.S. Army, down in Antarctica, and flying in Vietnam. Did you also know the Otter was used by the United Nations for "humanitarian missions"? Yes, the "Ole Otter" has been "everywhere", just like in the Hank Snow song. This next girl saw the world, as she "resided for a time" in Kansas, Germany, London, Belgian Congo, Yemen, Egypt, and finally back to Canada, where she met her "untimely end". Check out the history of the "Silver Trumpeter", Otter 164's nickname while "she" served with the UN!
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
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Otter 164
Otter 164 was delivered to the United States Army on 24th October 1956 with serial 55-3305 (tail number 53305). It first served with the 3rd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and moved with the unit when it deployed to Illesheim, Germany in July 1957. The Otter was noted visiting Blackbushe airfield, near London, on 21st September 1958. The 3rd Aviation Company disbanded in November 1959 but 53305 remained based in Europe.
In July 1960 53305 was one of two US Army Otters, the other being 53302 (159), selected to join an Army Task Force which was rushed to the former Belgian Congo to rescue US citizens caught up in the fighting there, and was flown from Rhein-Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany to the Congo onboard a USAF C-124 Globemaster, as was 53302. When that task was finished, both Otters remained in the Congo and were transferred to the United Nations Support Wing Air Squadron, as explained in relation to Otter 159. The Otters were painted all white and given UN markings, and 53305 took UN serial 301 and was named the “Silver Trumpeter”. These two Otters were joined by two Otters transferred from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, all four aircraft being flown and maintained by Swedish personnel attached to the United Nations. The UN subsequently purchased another four Otters from DHC.
301 served with the UN in the Congo, and subsequently in the Yemen, attached to 134 Air Transport Unit, manned by Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. In January 1964, on the conclusion of the Yemen campaign, 301 and the other five Otters operating in the Yemen were flown to the UN base at El Arish, Egypt where they were put into storage awaiting disposal. Two of these Otters, 301 and 304 (manufacturer's serial 21, one of the former Royal Norwegian Air Force aircraft) were sold to Mr. G.Rae MacLeod, trading as Aero Leasing of Montreal, on 26th May 1964. They were however registered as N127F (301) and N128F (304) to Frank Ferrer's company, Ferrer Aviation Inc of Miami, who was undertaking the ferry of the two Otters back to Canada. These two Otters, still in their all white UN paint scheme, passed through Manchester, England and Prestwick, Scotland on 21/22 June 1964 en route via Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland to Montreal's Dorval Airport. On arrival they were registered to Mr Mac Leod, N127F becoming CF-RNP and N128F becoming CF-RNO.
After overhaul at Dorval, CF-RNP went out on lease. A ferry permit was issued on 24th November '64 from Dorval to Lac-a-la-Tortue, Quebec and then on 24th February 1965 from there to Sept Iles, Quebec, where the Otter was leased to Northern Wings Ltd (Les Ailes du Nord), a company based at Sept Iles. In September 1968, the Otter was operating from the Northern Wing's seaplane base at Blanc Sablon, in a very remote part of Quebec, near to its border with Labrador, on the coast of the North Shore of the Gulf of the St.Lawrence. On 6th September '68, CF-RNP took off from Blanc Sablon at 15.30 hours for a destination at St.Augustin, 69 miles distant. The aircraft then departed St.Augustin for Old Fort, a distance of 42 miles, before continuing on to St.Paul's River, six miles away. At St.Paul's River, seven passengers joined the flight, which then took off for Blanc Sablon, a distance of 21 miles. The Otter also had on board an assistant as well as the pilot, nine souls in all. These were scheduled services for Northern Wings Ltd, which served the North Shore of the St.Lawrence.
A variable fog condition existed along the shore line of the Straits of Belle Isles that day. En route to Blanc Sablon, the pilot contacted base and was advised that the weather at his destination was 200 feet obscured and a quarter of a mile in fog. The pilot then advised that he was going to return to St.Paul's River. The Otter crashed in Bradore Bay, near to the south-west end of the Island of Ledges, a mile south-west of the destination lake. This area abounds in reefs and rocks, with numerous crevices below water level. A number of witnesses located at Bradore Bay heard the aircraft. One witness actually saw the Otter at a low level in the fog for a few seconds, after which it disappeared. Two witnesses report having heard the sound of the crash as the aircraft impacted the water. An extensive search followed, which continued for eight days, and involved the entire local community. Heavy fog persisted in the Straits of Belle Isles for three days after the accident, and prevented any aircraft search operations. Floatable items such as floor boards, cabin insulation, part of the left main float and three bodies were found along the shore line of the Island of Ledges. None of the other persons on board, nor the aircraft itself, were ever found.
Due to the remoteness of the location and the fog conditions which persisted for some days, the accident investigators had considerable difficulty getting to the scene. Two Department of Transport investigators flew from Montreal to Sept Iles by Air Canada scheduled flight. A Provincial Government group also flew to Sept Iles aboard the government De Havilland 125 executive jet. The investigators eventually departed Sept Iles on the morning of 9th September aboard a Northern Wings DC-3, which made two unsuccessful landing attempts at Blanc Sablon, before diverting to St.Anthony, Newfoundland due to the continuing fog. A pick-up truck was then hired to drive the group eight miles to the coast, where a ferry boat was located. Having crossed the Straits of Belle-Isles, the investigators eventually arrived at Blanc Sablon early on the morning of 10th September, four days after the crash.
By this stage, the fog had cleared, and a Northern Wings Otter was used to search the area, as well as an RCAF Rescue helicopter from Halifax and two boats. These joined the many private boats which were independently carrying out search operations. The search continued until 15th September but nothing further was found. From an examination of the few pieces of wreckage that were recovered, particularly the float, the investigators concluded that the Otter had struck the water in a steep, nose-down attitude, most probably in a bank to the right. They gave as the cause of the accident the fact that the pilot had continued flight into known fog conditions, which resulted in a loss of control at low level. Otter CF-RNP had 5,088 total airframe hours at the time of its loss.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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Very depressing, but "reality". "Life" is a "challenge", and tragedies happen. One thing that "struck me", though. The investigators "blamed" the pilot as usual. Maybe he was to blame. What if he was "visual", though, low level, and the Pratt and Whitney R1340 quit abruptly? It really "pisses" me when conclusions (guesses) are made when the investigation is "inconclusive". I am sure the pilot's family didn't need the "stigma" that was attached to their loved one after the report. Otter pilots are a "fine breed". Thanks for the "history", Karl.
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
All information is from Karl Hayes' "masterful" CD entitled:
De Havilland Canada
DHC-3 OTTER
A HISTORY
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Otter 164
Otter 164 was delivered to the United States Army on 24th October 1956 with serial 55-3305 (tail number 53305). It first served with the 3rd Aviation Company, Fort Riley, Kansas and moved with the unit when it deployed to Illesheim, Germany in July 1957. The Otter was noted visiting Blackbushe airfield, near London, on 21st September 1958. The 3rd Aviation Company disbanded in November 1959 but 53305 remained based in Europe.
In July 1960 53305 was one of two US Army Otters, the other being 53302 (159), selected to join an Army Task Force which was rushed to the former Belgian Congo to rescue US citizens caught up in the fighting there, and was flown from Rhein-Main Air Base, Frankfurt, Germany to the Congo onboard a USAF C-124 Globemaster, as was 53302. When that task was finished, both Otters remained in the Congo and were transferred to the United Nations Support Wing Air Squadron, as explained in relation to Otter 159. The Otters were painted all white and given UN markings, and 53305 took UN serial 301 and was named the “Silver Trumpeter”. These two Otters were joined by two Otters transferred from the Royal Norwegian Air Force, all four aircraft being flown and maintained by Swedish personnel attached to the United Nations. The UN subsequently purchased another four Otters from DHC.
301 served with the UN in the Congo, and subsequently in the Yemen, attached to 134 Air Transport Unit, manned by Royal Canadian Air Force personnel. In January 1964, on the conclusion of the Yemen campaign, 301 and the other five Otters operating in the Yemen were flown to the UN base at El Arish, Egypt where they were put into storage awaiting disposal. Two of these Otters, 301 and 304 (manufacturer's serial 21, one of the former Royal Norwegian Air Force aircraft) were sold to Mr. G.Rae MacLeod, trading as Aero Leasing of Montreal, on 26th May 1964. They were however registered as N127F (301) and N128F (304) to Frank Ferrer's company, Ferrer Aviation Inc of Miami, who was undertaking the ferry of the two Otters back to Canada. These two Otters, still in their all white UN paint scheme, passed through Manchester, England and Prestwick, Scotland on 21/22 June 1964 en route via Iceland, Greenland and Newfoundland to Montreal's Dorval Airport. On arrival they were registered to Mr Mac Leod, N127F becoming CF-RNP and N128F becoming CF-RNO.
After overhaul at Dorval, CF-RNP went out on lease. A ferry permit was issued on 24th November '64 from Dorval to Lac-a-la-Tortue, Quebec and then on 24th February 1965 from there to Sept Iles, Quebec, where the Otter was leased to Northern Wings Ltd (Les Ailes du Nord), a company based at Sept Iles. In September 1968, the Otter was operating from the Northern Wing's seaplane base at Blanc Sablon, in a very remote part of Quebec, near to its border with Labrador, on the coast of the North Shore of the Gulf of the St.Lawrence. On 6th September '68, CF-RNP took off from Blanc Sablon at 15.30 hours for a destination at St.Augustin, 69 miles distant. The aircraft then departed St.Augustin for Old Fort, a distance of 42 miles, before continuing on to St.Paul's River, six miles away. At St.Paul's River, seven passengers joined the flight, which then took off for Blanc Sablon, a distance of 21 miles. The Otter also had on board an assistant as well as the pilot, nine souls in all. These were scheduled services for Northern Wings Ltd, which served the North Shore of the St.Lawrence.
A variable fog condition existed along the shore line of the Straits of Belle Isles that day. En route to Blanc Sablon, the pilot contacted base and was advised that the weather at his destination was 200 feet obscured and a quarter of a mile in fog. The pilot then advised that he was going to return to St.Paul's River. The Otter crashed in Bradore Bay, near to the south-west end of the Island of Ledges, a mile south-west of the destination lake. This area abounds in reefs and rocks, with numerous crevices below water level. A number of witnesses located at Bradore Bay heard the aircraft. One witness actually saw the Otter at a low level in the fog for a few seconds, after which it disappeared. Two witnesses report having heard the sound of the crash as the aircraft impacted the water. An extensive search followed, which continued for eight days, and involved the entire local community. Heavy fog persisted in the Straits of Belle Isles for three days after the accident, and prevented any aircraft search operations. Floatable items such as floor boards, cabin insulation, part of the left main float and three bodies were found along the shore line of the Island of Ledges. None of the other persons on board, nor the aircraft itself, were ever found.
Due to the remoteness of the location and the fog conditions which persisted for some days, the accident investigators had considerable difficulty getting to the scene. Two Department of Transport investigators flew from Montreal to Sept Iles by Air Canada scheduled flight. A Provincial Government group also flew to Sept Iles aboard the government De Havilland 125 executive jet. The investigators eventually departed Sept Iles on the morning of 9th September aboard a Northern Wings DC-3, which made two unsuccessful landing attempts at Blanc Sablon, before diverting to St.Anthony, Newfoundland due to the continuing fog. A pick-up truck was then hired to drive the group eight miles to the coast, where a ferry boat was located. Having crossed the Straits of Belle-Isles, the investigators eventually arrived at Blanc Sablon early on the morning of 10th September, four days after the crash.
By this stage, the fog had cleared, and a Northern Wings Otter was used to search the area, as well as an RCAF Rescue helicopter from Halifax and two boats. These joined the many private boats which were independently carrying out search operations. The search continued until 15th September but nothing further was found. From an examination of the few pieces of wreckage that were recovered, particularly the float, the investigators concluded that the Otter had struck the water in a steep, nose-down attitude, most probably in a bank to the right. They gave as the cause of the accident the fact that the pilot had continued flight into known fog conditions, which resulted in a loss of control at low level. Otter CF-RNP had 5,088 total airframe hours at the time of its loss.
- by Karl E. Hayes
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Very depressing, but "reality". "Life" is a "challenge", and tragedies happen. One thing that "struck me", though. The investigators "blamed" the pilot as usual. Maybe he was to blame. What if he was "visual", though, low level, and the Pratt and Whitney R1340 quit abruptly? It really "pisses" me when conclusions (guesses) are made when the investigation is "inconclusive". I am sure the pilot's family didn't need the "stigma" that was attached to their loved one after the report. Otter pilots are a "fine breed". Thanks for the "history", Karl.
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
Comments:
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I helped strip the paint from RNP when Northern Wings took delivery of the aircraft. At the time I was in high school, and the aircraft was stripped during spring break. Later, I flew RNP as crewman while I was obtaining my commercial pilot's license, after which I began flying for the company on the C185 and Beaver.
I knew the accident pilot very well, having flown with him for a couple hundred hours. The crewman at the time of the accident was a cousin of mine. On the day of the accident I had been to St. Augustine with the 185. There was fog all along the coast, but a mile inland the weather was clear. RNP had been to the salmon club on the St. Pauls River earlier in the day, and was called from Blanc Sablon to St. Augustine on a medevac.
I knew the accident pilot very well, having flown with him for a couple hundred hours. The crewman at the time of the accident was a cousin of mine. On the day of the accident I had been to St. Augustine with the 185. There was fog all along the coast, but a mile inland the weather was clear. RNP had been to the salmon club on the St. Pauls River earlier in the day, and was called from Blanc Sablon to St. Augustine on a medevac.
# posted by 
: 10:03 PM
: 10:03 PM
Thanks for the extra information, much appreciated. What is your "educated guess" about what actually happened, or have you heard any "scuttlebutt"?
Cheers,
Steve
Cheers,
Steve
I've been doing some phone calls and enquiring on the topic. I've interviewed the people that were on the plane and put off in Old Fort and St.Pauls River before it left for it's final run to Long Point. The fog was very thick and there were high seas. It was too rough to go out in boat to search that evening because of the swell. The plane left St.Pauls, flew around near Bradore then returned to St.Pauls River to land but never stopped long enough for anything and headed straight back towards Long Point again after seeing some clearing in the fog. The plane was spotted flying on the west side of Basin Island by the only resident left on the island that fall as it passed low adjacent to the island. Within a short period of time there was a roaring of the engine as if it were revving up then there was a big explosion. did it hit a shoal, the waves or just crash? Questions that may never be answered. It sounded to the residents of Bradore that the plane must have known it was in trouble becaue they heard the revving of the motor before the big bang. The explosion shook dishes in the cupboard of the island house. I wonder if there is any way of getting a copy of the report made on the accident either from the police or the insurance company ? Any suggestions ? Dwight Bilodeau - dwightwbilodeau@hotmail.com
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# posted by : 12:03 PM
: 12:03 PM << Home
