DHC-3 Otter Archive Master Index

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c/n 384

9411 CFB Downsview with locally based airframes - 3673 (28), 9413 (389), 9421 (402) and 9422 (404).
Photo: Brian R. Burrage © 17 August 1970

c/n 384

9411

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• 9411 Royal Canadian Air Force. Delivered 28-Jul-1960. Designated as CSR-123.

Initially assigned to 400 Squadron at CFB Downsview, ON.

Dec-1960. Passed to 411 Squadron also based at Downsview, ON.

28-Sep-1965. Transferred to 102 Communications & Rescue Unit, CFB Trenton, ON.

Accident: Picton, ON. 09-Feb-1966. Suffered a take off accident resulting in the aircraft hitting a snow bank at the side of the runway. Repaired and returned to service.

12-May-1966. Returned to 400 Sqd at CFB Downsview, ON.

8th September 1971 During a training detail Otter landed heavily. The right landing gear was found to have been driven inwards. The Otter was taken to the AMDU Trenton for repair and was then held in reserve.

28-Jun-1972. Allocated to 401 Squadron at St.Hubert, QC.

18-Apr-1973, Allocated to 402 Squadron, Winnipeg., MB.

Accident: Presumed Winnipeg 19th May 1974. engaged as part of an exercise in a simulated attack on an airstrip. There were four on board. After entering a turn on the second pass, it appeared to lose altitude and assumed a pronounced nose-up attitude. Shortly after, the aircraft impacted the tree line on the right side of the runway, crashed and burned. One of the crew was killed, one seriously injured and the other two received minor injuries.

16th October 1974. Deleted from inventory.

Destroyed

Otter 384 was delivered to the RCAF on 28th July 1960 with serial 9411. It was assigned to 400 Squadron at Downsview, passing on to 411 Squadron also based at Downsview in December 1960 It continued to fly for this unit until 28th September 1965 when it was transferred to 102 Communications & Rescue Unit at Trenton. It was serving with this unit when it met with a  'B' category crash on 9th February 1966 at Picton Airport, Ontario. On take off in a ninety degree crosswind at 20/25 mph, the aircraft reached forty knots and a gust of wind swung the Otter forty five degrees to port. The left main wheel contacted a snowbank on the edge of the runway. The pilot pulled off power and the aircraft came to a stop ninety degrees to the runway heading, with only the tailwheel on the runway. The Otter was taken to the DHC factory for repair on 17th February, where it was dealt with by the RCAF's 12 Technical Services Unit.

On completion of the repairs, on 12th May 1966 the Otter was allocated to 400 Squadron at Downsview, where it was to remain for the next five years. On 8th September 1971 it was involved in another 'B' category incident, in the course of a training detail. The student was on a conversion training flight with the captain acting as instructor. The student was at the controls. A power-off approach using climb flaps was commenced from circuit height. The approach airspeed at the commencement of the flare appeared normal. The aircraft was rounded out to a three-point attitude but the rate of sink was not arrested as expected. Power was applied but the Otter landed heavily. The right landing gear was found to have been driven inwards. The Otter was taken to the AMDU Trenton for repair and was then held in reserve. On 28th June 1972 it was allocated to 401 Squadron at St.Hubert, Québec where it flew until 18th April 1973, when it went to 402 Squadron at  Winnipeg, Manitoba. It was serving with 402 Squadron when it met its end in dramatic fashion on 19th May 1974.

9411 was engaged as part of an exercise in a simulated attack on an airstrip. There were four on board. After entering a turn on the second pass, it appeared to lose altitude and assumed a pronounced nose-up attitude. Shortly after, the aircraft impacted the tree line on the right side of the runway, crashed and burned. One of the crew was killed, one seriously injured and the other two received minor injuries. The accident report found that the pilot, who was pre-occupied with spotting “targets”, flew his aircraft at an extremely low altitude and elected to perform a sharp turn over the runway directly towards the trees, when a safe departure could have been made straight ahead.

9411 was destroyed in the accident and was formally deleted from the inventory on 16th October 1974.

Full history up to 2005 courtesy of Karl E Hayes © from DHC-3 Otter - A History (CD-ROM 2005)