Sad, Sad Day for "Otter" Enthusiasts......

One of my new e-mail friends is a fellow from Ireland by the name of Karl Hayes. Karl has an "extreme fondness" for that great Canadian bushplane the "Single Otter", and has made numerous trips to Canada to see and photograph Otters. In 1982 he published a book detailing the history of all 466 Otters made. The book is out of print, but has recently been updated on a CD-ROM format. Karl is sending me a copy of the CD-ROM, and once I receive it I will share my thoughts regarding it in a "Post". I look forward to receiving the disc, and am patiently anticipating it's arrival. Anyways, Karl is coming to Manitoba in May to see some Otters and the C-46s in Gimli, and I hope to meet up with him, and swap some stories. He has seen the Otter I will be flying this summer before, C-FUKN, and hopes to see it again.

This morning I received an e-mail from Karl, and he had received some information regarding a "double mishap" in Quebec recently. An Otter modified with the Garrett Turbine engine (possibly C-FODT) landed and hit the right wing of Air Wemindji's turbine Otter C-FKLC. One wing was destroyed, and there was some fuselage damage to KLC, but easily repairable. The decision was made to use a helicopter to sling KLC out for repairs, and, you guessed it...........

........it was dropped into the bush and destroyed! I just about fell over when I read that! Anyways, a sad, sad, situation. Following are some pictures Karl forwarded, and, as you can see, an "unfitting" end to a proud, old girl. (Now that Viking has the DHC STCs, maybe this is a good rebuilding project for them.) Here are the pics.


 


 


 


 


"Dropped!" 


 


 


 

As you can see from the photos, the errors kept occurring, and KLC was severely damaged. Hopefully someone rebuilds her. It is hard to keep an Otter or a Beaver from the sky for long, they always seem to be "miraculously resurrected"......

Thanks for the e-mail and pics, Karl, looking forward to receiving the CD!

Cheers,

Steve