Shepard Bay – Yellowknife

On September 29, 1955 at 01:10 PM, Shepard Bay – Yellowknife experienced a crash involving Avro 685 York, operated by Associated Airways, with the event recorded near Thoa River Northwest Territories.

The flight was categorized as cargo and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

2 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 1 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 50.0%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 1, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew was returning to Yellowknife on a flight from Shepard Bay. En route, the crew became lost and after multiple attempts to establish their location, did a controlled ditching (at night) into a lake in the Thoa River area. The crew was unable to get to shore due to the water temperature and sat on the extended flaps, just 3 feet above the water surface. After 2 days the Captain died from exposure but the Co-pilot remained alive until rescued 10 days after the accident.

Aircraft reference details include registration CF-HMV, MSN MW135, year of manufacture 1944.