4 fatalities

Night Navigation Exercise Crash Near Charlottetown (N4894)

Charlottetown, CanadaLanding (descent or approach)

On November 20, 1941, an Avro 652 Anson (registration N4894) operated by Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF was involved in an aviation accident near Charlottetown, Canada during landing or approach. 4 people were killed. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A military aircraft crashed near Charlottetown during a night navigation exercise after failing to maintain radio contact and refueling at an intermediate stop, resulting in the deaths of all four crew members.

What happened

The incident involved a 31st GRS aircraft conducting a night navigation exercise departing from Charlottetown. The flight lost wireless communication with base shortly after takeoff. The pilot proceeded to land at Chatham but departed again without refueling or re-establishing contact with the home base. While approaching Charlottetown, the aircraft crashed for unknown reasons a few kilometers from the airfield. All four crew members were killed in the accident.

Findings

The specific technical cause of the crash remains unknown according to the available records. The sequence of events highlights that the aircraft operated without refueling at Chatham and failed to maintain radio contact with base prior to the final approach.