Abbotsford - Abbotsford

On June 1, 1945 at 09:40 AM, Abbotsford - Abbotsford experienced a crash involving Consolidated B-24 Liberator, operated by Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF, with the event recorded near Mt Welch British Columbia.

The flight was categorized as training and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

11 people were known to be on board, 11 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 11, crew fatalities: 11, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew departed Abbotsford Airport at 0906LT on a local training mission. Thirty-four minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 in marginal weather conditions, the crew proceeded to a fix point when the aircraft hit the slope of Welch Peak located east of Chilliwack. The wreckage was spotted on June 16 but first rescuers arrived on the scene four days later, on June 20. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 11 crew members were killed. Crew (5th OTU): Sgt Stanley Aldridge, Sgt Albert Eric Broadbent, Sgt John Randall Dale, Sgt William Peter Watt Drummond, Sgt Isaac Gibbons, Sgt James Leonard Gordon Hammond, F/O Arthur William David Hill, Sgt David Robertson Langlands, P/O Gilbert Ewart Ellis Long, Sgt Graham Murray, Sgt William Thomas Swatton. Source: http://www.bansteadhistory.com/Memorial/2_H_KK241 Liberator Crew.html

Aircraft reference details include registration KK241, MSN 1607.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 49.3175°, -123.1072°.