Vancouver – Comox

On November 24, 1952 at 12:00 AM, Vancouver – Comox experienced a crash involving Avro 683 Lancaster, operated by Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF, with the event recorded near Comox British Columbia.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

10 people were known to be on board, 8 fatalities were recorded, 2 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 80.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 6, passenger fatalities: 6, other fatalities: 0.

During an instrument approach to Comox Airbase, while flying in poor weather conditions, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a swampy area. All seven passengers were killed while both pilots were injured. It was later confirmed by the RCAF that the Lancaster was scheduled on this flight to replace a Canso that suffered an engine failure earlier that day. Crew: F/O Ruff F. Johnson, pilot, F/O Monte J. Wright, copilot, F/O Joseph Frederick Doucette, navigator, † Cpl George Stanley Fletcher, flight engineer. † Passengers: F/Sgt Joseph Leo Laurier Maynard, † A1c Vernon Joseph McIntyre, † Cpl Freeman Archibald McKay, † A1c Wayne Frederick Smith, † A1c Roy Howard Walsh, † Malcolm G. McLeod. †

Aircraft reference details include registration KB940.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 49.6762°, -124.9379°.