Buffalo Airways

Curtiss C-46 Commando

The Buffalo Airways Curtiss C-46A (C-GTXW) was operating as flight 525 from Yellowknife, NT (YZF) to Norman Wells, NT (YVQ). While en route, approximately 140 nautical miles southeast of Norman Wells at 6500 feet above sea level, the crew noticed a drop in the right engine oil quantity indicator in conjunction with a propeller overspeed. The propeller pitch was adjusted to control the overspeed however, oil quantity indication continued to drop rapidly. A visual confirmation of the right engine nacelle confirmed that oil was escaping via the engine breather vent at an abnormally high rate. The right propeller speed became uncontrollable and the crew completed the "Prop overspeed drill". However, the propeller did not feather as selected. Several additional attempts were made to feather the propeller before it eventually feathered. The engine was secured and the shutdown checklist completed. The crew elected to divert to Tulita, NT (ZFN), but quickly determined that the descent rate would not permit that as an option. The only other option for diversion was Déline, NT (YWJ) where weather was reported at half a mile visibility and 300 feet ceiling. An emergency was declared with Déline radio. BFL525 was able to land at Déline however, the landing gear was not selected down to prevent further loss of airspeed resulting in a belly landing approximately midpoint of runway 08. The aircraft continued off the end of the runway coming to a stop approximately 700 feet beyond the threshold. The crew evacuated the aircraft sustaining no injuries however, the aircraft was destroyed.

Douglas DC-3

On 19 August 2013, a Buffalo Airways Ltd. Douglas DC-3C (registration C-GWIR, serial number 9371) was operating as a scheduled passenger flight from Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, to Hay River, Northwest Territories. After lift-off from Runway 16 at 1708 Mountain Daylight Time, there was a fire in the right engine. The crew performed an emergency engine shutdown and made a low-altitude right turn towards Runway 10. The aircraft struck a stand of trees southwest of the threshold of Runway 10 and touched down south of the runway with the landing gear retracted. An aircraft evacuation was accomplished and there were no injuries to the 3 crew members or the 21 passengers. There was no post-impact fire and the 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter did not activate.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

The Buffalo Airways Limited Douglas C-54G-DC (DC-4), registration C-GXKN, serial number 36090, departed from Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, at 1749 mountain standard time for a visual flight rules flight to Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, with a crew of four and 2000 pounds of cargo. While climbing through an altitude of approximately 3500 feet above sea level, the crew experienced a failure of the number 2 engine and a nacelle fire. The crew carried out the Engine Fire Checklist, which included discharging the fire bottles and feathering the number 2 propeller. The fire continued unabated. During this period, an uncommanded feathering of the number 1 propeller and an uncommanded extension of the main landing gear occurred. The crew planned for an emergency off-field landing, but during the descent to the landing area, the fuel selector was turned off as part of the Engine Securing Checklist, and the fire self-extinguished. A decision was made to return to the Norman Wells Airport where a successful two-engine landing was completed at 1804 mountain standard time. The aircraft sustained substantial fire damage, but there were no injuries to the four crew members on board.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

The four engine aircraft was completing a cargo flight to Ulu, carrying four crew members and a load consisting of 45 oil drums. On final approach, the crew realized his speed was too high so he reduced engine power and selected full flaps. The aircraft lost height so power was added. But the aircraft continued to descent and struck the ground short of runway threshold. Upon impact, the undercarriage were torn off. The aircraft slid on its belly, lost its both wings and came to rest few hundred feet further. All four crew members escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

On final approach to Diavik Airport, the four engine aircraft was too low. This caused the undercarriage to struck the ground about one metre short of runway 10 threshold. On impact, the undercarriage were torn off and the aircraft slid on the runway for almost 300 metres then lost its right wing and rotated to the right before coming to rest, bursting into flames. Both pilots escaped with minor injuries and the aircraft was destroyed.

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Buffalo Air Flight 526, a Douglas DC-3C freighter based in Yellowknife, was hauling jet fuel to Trout Lake from Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, in support of forest fire suppression operations. Before the departure from Yellowknife to Trout Lake, the flight crew checked the en route weather and filed a company flight itinerary. Dispatch issued the flight crew an aircraft-fuel-load receipt which indicated that the aircraft had been fuelled the night before with a total fuel quantity of about 436 imperial gallons (imp. gal.): full main tanks (336 imp. gal.), and 50 gallons in each auxiliary tank (100 imp. gal.). The first officer confirmed this quantity with a fuel dip-stick borrowed from the refueller. At 07:40 mountain daylight saving time, the flight crew departed Yellowknife in accordance with visual flight rules (VFR). On board the aircraft were 17 full 45-imperial-gallon drums of Turbo-B jet fuel. At 09:25 the aircraft landed at Trout Lake, and the 17 drums of jet fuel were off-loaded; the aircraft then departed for Fort Simpson at 0945. The 82-nautical-mile (nm) flight to Fort Simpson was flown at an altitude of about 2,500 feet above sea level (asl); the flight crew reported encountering light headwinds. At 10:20 the aircraft landed at Fort Simpson. Once again 17 drums of jet fuel were loaded on board, then the aircraft departed at 10:49. The captain climbed the aircraft to an altitude of 3,500 feet asl. After he levelled off the aircraft, the captain adjusted the engines to 575 brake horsepower (bhp) settings. At 11:20, the aircraft landed at Trout Lake and the drums were off-loaded, and at 11:35 the aircraft was once again airborne on the second round-trip shuttle flight. Thirty-five minutes later the aircraft landed at Fort Simpson. While the cargo was being loaded on the aircraft, the flight crew discussed their different calculations regarding the aircraft's fuel quantity. The first officer indicated that the aircraft required fuel. The captain calculated that the aircraft had sufficient fuel remaining. The captain decided that they would refuel at Fort Simpson on the next shuttle flight; nonetheless, since the flight crew considered the cockpit fuel gauges unreliable, the captain requested that the first officer confirm the fuel quantity using a dip-stick. At 12:28, the aircraft departed Fort Simpson and climbed to 5,000 feet asl. About eight minutes later, the flight crew noticed that the fuel pressure was fluctuating, indicating that the auxiliary tanks were empty. The captain repositioned the fuel tank selectors to their respective main tanks and enquired about the dip-stick measurements. The first officer responded that he had not checked the fuel quantity because the fuel dip-stick was missing. The crew discussed the fuel quantity remaining and the captain calculated that the aircraft had approximately 45 minutes of fuel remaining. Following the 13:00 touchdown at Trout Lake, the cargo was unloaded and 31 empty fuel drums were loaded on board the aircraft for Fort Simpson. At 13:25 the aircraft departed Trout Lake. The first officer was the pilot flying (PF) the aircraft, and was in the right seat. The captain performed the duties of the pilot not flying (PNF). Twenty miles southwest of Fort Simpson, the PNF reported their position to Fort Simpson Flight Service Station (FSS). He also requested that the aircraft refueller be advised that they would require fuel on arrival. The flight crew then completed the descent checks and, at 10 miles southwest of the airport, the PNF updated FSS of their position and received the airport advisory. Approximately six miles from the airport, at an altitude of about 400 to 500 feet above ground level (agl), the PF advised the PNF that the left engine was losing fuel pressure. Shortly thereafter, the left engine lost power. Immediately, the PNF switched the left fuel boost pump to the ON position, and the left fuel selector from LEFT MAIN to LEFT AUXILIARY tank position. The engine resumed power momentarily, but lost power again. The PNF then switched the left fuel selector to the RIGHT AUXILIARY tank position and the engine regained power; however, it promptly lost power again. Realizing that the fuel had been depleted in three of the four tanks, the captain took control of the aircraft and headed straight for runway 31. As the captain called for the engine failure check for the left engine, the first officer advised the captain that the right engine was losing power. With a loss of power in both engines, and without sufficient altitude to glide to the airport, the first officer called the Fort Simpson FSS to advise that the flight crew would attempt a landing on the road (Mackenzie Highway) north of the Liard River. However, the approach to the road was unsuccessful and the aircraft crash-landed into a treed area. At about 14:03, several witnesses at the Liard River ferry crossing observed the aircraft flying low in a northwesterly direction. The aircraft was estimated to be at about 40 feet agl when it crossed overhead the ferry terminal and was descending. The witnesses reported that they heard the sound of the engines cutting in and out before the aircraft passed overhead their vantage points. They also reported seeing the landing gear being extended. The aircraft then disappeared from view behind the trees. Immediately thereafter, the aircraft struck trees near the road, and crashed about 1/2 nm short of runway 31. The aircraft had been flown for approximately 4 hours and 37 minutes since its last refuelling.

Boeing 707

Buffalo Airways flight 721, a regularly scheduled cargo flight, was operating between Oklahoma City, OK, and Fort Wayne, IN (FWA), with en route stops at Wichita, KS (ICT), and Kansas City, MO (MCI). The flight to Wichita was routine. En route to Kansas City, the crew deviated from course to avoid thunderstorms, but the descent into the terminal area was routine. At 21:42 flight 721 contacted the TRACON arrival radar controller. The controller directed the flight to turn to 060 degrees and told the flightcrew that they were being vectored to the ILS localizer for the ILS approach to runway 1. About 21:47 while the airplane was descending through about 6,500 feet, the first officer, who had been flying the airplane, turned the controls over to the captain. Buffalo Airways' regulations required captains to make all the approaches and landings whenever the ceilings and visibilities were less than 400 feet and 1 mile, respectively. At 21:50, after several intermediate descent clearances, flight 721 was cleared to descend to 2,400 feet. At 21:51, the controller told flight 721 that it was "five miles from DOTTE (the LOM), turn left zero four zero, maintain two thousand four hundred until established, cleared ILS runway one approach." The crew had completed the before-landing checklist, the landing gear was down and locked, and the flaps had been extended to 25 degrees, as required, for landing. At 21:52:40, the local controller advised flight 721 that it was No. 2 to land and that the winds were zero four zero at eight knots, and that the RVR on runway 1 was more than 6,000 feet. At 21:52:47, the first officer stated, "Localizer alive." The first office reported the airplane's altitude during the descent in 100-foot increments above "minimums (DH)" until the airplane reached the decision height. At 21:53:07, the first officer called, "Marker inbound." The flightcrew then received ATIS information "Sierra" which stated that the weather at the airport was in part: ceiling--100 feet, overcast; visibility 1/2 mile, fog; wind 40° at 8 knots. At 21:53:24, the captain remarked, "Already started the approach." At 21:53:32, 4 seconds after reporting that the airplane was 200 feet above minimums, the first officer told the local controller that, "Seven twenty-one is the marker inbound." The local controller acknowledged receipt of the message. At 21:53:41, after receiving a low-altitude alert generated by the Automated Radar Tracking System III (ARTS III) computer's Minimum Safe Altitude Warning (MSAW) function, the local controller warned flight 721 to "check altitude immediately should be two thousand four hundred, altimeter two nine six one." Flight 721 did not respond. However, the captain said "Call the radar (radio) altimeter please." At 21:53:46, the first officer responded, "Okay, there's twelve hundred on the (radio) altimeter." At 21:53:50, the local controller again called the flight and warned, "I have a low altitude alert, climb and maintain two thousand four hundred." Again, the flightcrew did not acknowledge receipt of the warning. At 21:53:51, a crewmember called out "pull it up," and at 2153:52, the captain applied power followed almost simultaneously by sounds of initial impact. Flight 721 struck the tops of trees on a 950-foot-high ridge about 3 nmi short of the approach end of runway 1. The airplane cut a relatively level 750- to 800-foot-long swath through the tree tops about 20 to 30 feet above the ground. The swath ended as the ridge and tree tops sloped downward. The airplane then rolled and turned to the right as it descended into the main impact area 2,000 feet beyond the initial impact site. All four occupants were killed.

De Havilland DHC-3 Otter

The single engine airplane was on a flight that day from its base at Fort Smith to Salkeld Lake, Northwest Territories. The pilot, after intentionally planning to land as close to the end of the lake as possible, overshot the selected landing area. In an attempted go-around, the aircraft could not out-climb the rising terrain. A tailwind condition prevailed at the time and the Otter was five hundred pounds over gross weight. It collided with the trees, crashed and burned, seriously injuring the two on board. Source: http://www.dhc-3archive.com/DHC-3_375.html and Karl E. Hayes.

Noorduyn Norseman

Shortly after takeoff from Thubun Lake, while climbing, the airplane lost height, crashed and came to rest upside down. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.