Great Whale River – Val-d’Or

On July 3, 1957 at 12:00 PM, Great Whale River – Val-d’Or experienced a crash involving Lockheed L-414 Hudson, operated by Kenting Aviation, with the event recorded near Waskaganish Quebec.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was flight at a plain, valley crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

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

The aircraft, owned by the Photographic Survey Corporation Limited, departed Great Whale River at approximately 0915 hours eastern standard time on a non-scheduled flight to Val d'Or, with the pilot, a maintenance engineer and two passengers aboard. An instrument flight plan was filed prior to departure, and the aircraft was to fly at 7 000 ft direct to Val d'Or, the estimated time of arrival being 1200 hours. Following take-off CF-CRL climbed on a magnetic heading of 185° on instruments, and the pilot was requested to report passing through 7 000 ft and to continue the climb to 9 000 ft. After passing routine messages, in which the freezing level of 10 000 ft was included, the pilot reported at 0928 hours that he was visual at 10 000 ft and that he would maintain this altitude to Val d'Or. At 0930 he stated he would maintain 1 000 ft on top of the overcast, i.e. 11 000 ft. At 0957 the pilot requested a radio check, and Great Whale River informed him that his transmission was weak. The pilot acknowledged this message which was the last transmission received from him. At 1600 hours the RCAF Search and Rescue Co-ordination Centre at Trenton, Ontario was notified that the aircraft was overdue, and a search was begun. The wreckage was found on 25 July, 36 miles from Rupert House, P. Q., on a bearing of 153° True. All four occupants had been killed in the crash, and the aircraft was destroyed.

Aircraft reference details include registration CF-CRL, MSN 414-7546, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 51.4869°, -78.7464°.