Sunday, September 30, 2007
Steve's "Otter Of The Week"!......by Karl E. Hayes
"Dang" those "muskrats"! A "word of warning" to all "Otters"! Beware of "Muskrat Dam"!
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 320
Otter 320 was delivered to the State of New York, Department of Conservation on 9th February 1960, registered N600, based at Albany in upstate New York on amphibious floats. It was the second Otter to carry the registration N600, and replaced Otter 256, also registered N600, which had crashed in September 1959. Despite the crash, the State of New York was convinced that the Otter was the tool for the job, and so they ordered a replacement. The new Otter, 320, was fitted with improved fire fighting tanks, and an automated electro-mechanical fish planting system, which eliminated the need for cabin crew on this type of operation. These improvements made the already versatile Otter a much more valuable tool, and the new N600 flew for the State of New York until July 1965, performing the same duties as the original aircraft, as already described.
In July 1965, the Otter was replaced with a Bell 204B Iroquois helicopter. As the Bell Company were not interested in a trade-in, the disposal of the Otter was given to Jack Adams & Co, aircraft brokers, of Memphis, Tennessee. They arranged for the sale of the aircraft to a company called Aerodynamics Inc of Pontiac, Michigan, to whom the Otter was registered as N6001 in January 1966. The Otter was later sold to Bradley Air Services Ltd of Carp, Ontario, to whom it was registered CF-URG on 8th July 1968.
In 1968, Bradley Air Services took over air support of the Polar Continental Shelf Project, which brought its Otters and other aircraft to the High Arctic. In September 1969, CF-URG was engaged on this Project, operating on Banks Island. The Otter was damaged landing on a sand bar at the mouth of the Bernard River and remained on the sand bar for three weeks awaiting repair. During this period, water entered the carburettor, filter screen, fuel lines and sumps. The pilot took off from the sand bar on 15th October '69 en route to Isachsen and had climbed to 400 feet when the engine suddenly lost power and could not be re-started. In an attempt to reach a suitable landing area, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease. The Otter stalled and hit heavily on the sea ice, collapsing the undercarriage. The accident report blamed the crash on an incomplete pre-flight inspection, during which water or ice in the fuel system was not detected. Temporary repairs were made at the scene by Ray Cox and a ferry permit issued for a flight from Burnett Bay, Banks Island to Carp, Ontario for permanent repairs.
The following year, URG was flying in Ontario when it crashed and was written off on 9th December 1970 at Muskrat Dam Lake. As the accident report summarises: “Climb; engine failure; inadequate maintenance/inspection; aircraft destroyed”. The Otter had been en route to Pickle Lake, Ontario. Shortly after take off the pilot noticed a loss of oil pressure and power. He attempted to return to the airstrip, but crashed into the trees and the Otter was destroyed by fire.
- by Karl E. Hayes
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I think the "muskrats" had something to do with it. "Jealousy", as de Havilland Canada never named an aircraft after them.............
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 320
Otter 320 was delivered to the State of New York, Department of Conservation on 9th February 1960, registered N600, based at Albany in upstate New York on amphibious floats. It was the second Otter to carry the registration N600, and replaced Otter 256, also registered N600, which had crashed in September 1959. Despite the crash, the State of New York was convinced that the Otter was the tool for the job, and so they ordered a replacement. The new Otter, 320, was fitted with improved fire fighting tanks, and an automated electro-mechanical fish planting system, which eliminated the need for cabin crew on this type of operation. These improvements made the already versatile Otter a much more valuable tool, and the new N600 flew for the State of New York until July 1965, performing the same duties as the original aircraft, as already described.
In July 1965, the Otter was replaced with a Bell 204B Iroquois helicopter. As the Bell Company were not interested in a trade-in, the disposal of the Otter was given to Jack Adams & Co, aircraft brokers, of Memphis, Tennessee. They arranged for the sale of the aircraft to a company called Aerodynamics Inc of Pontiac, Michigan, to whom the Otter was registered as N6001 in January 1966. The Otter was later sold to Bradley Air Services Ltd of Carp, Ontario, to whom it was registered CF-URG on 8th July 1968.
In 1968, Bradley Air Services took over air support of the Polar Continental Shelf Project, which brought its Otters and other aircraft to the High Arctic. In September 1969, CF-URG was engaged on this Project, operating on Banks Island. The Otter was damaged landing on a sand bar at the mouth of the Bernard River and remained on the sand bar for three weeks awaiting repair. During this period, water entered the carburettor, filter screen, fuel lines and sumps. The pilot took off from the sand bar on 15th October '69 en route to Isachsen and had climbed to 400 feet when the engine suddenly lost power and could not be re-started. In an attempt to reach a suitable landing area, the pilot allowed the airspeed to decrease. The Otter stalled and hit heavily on the sea ice, collapsing the undercarriage. The accident report blamed the crash on an incomplete pre-flight inspection, during which water or ice in the fuel system was not detected. Temporary repairs were made at the scene by Ray Cox and a ferry permit issued for a flight from Burnett Bay, Banks Island to Carp, Ontario for permanent repairs.
The following year, URG was flying in Ontario when it crashed and was written off on 9th December 1970 at Muskrat Dam Lake. As the accident report summarises: “Climb; engine failure; inadequate maintenance/inspection; aircraft destroyed”. The Otter had been en route to Pickle Lake, Ontario. Shortly after take off the pilot noticed a loss of oil pressure and power. He attempted to return to the airstrip, but crashed into the trees and the Otter was destroyed by fire.
- by Karl E. Hayes
---------------------------------------------------------------------
I think the "muskrats" had something to do with it. "Jealousy", as de Havilland Canada never named an aircraft after them.............
CONTACT KARL, CD PRICING and ORDERING INFO - De Havilland DHC-3 OTTER - A HISTORY by Karl E. Hayes
