What happened
The incident occurred during a local training exercise conducted by the Royal Canadian Air Force at Moncton Airport. The flight involved multiple Avro Anson aircraft operating in formation. One pilot, flying an Anson with registration 6273, joined the formation as the third aircraft on the right side without confirming that all other pilots were aware of his presence.
The formation leader signaled for the aircraft to align into a 'line abrest' configuration. The pilot of Anson 6273 complied with the signal. Shortly thereafter, this aircraft collided with another Anson, registered 6357. Upon impact, the two airframes locked together momentarily before losing control and crashing to the ground.
Both airplanes were destroyed in the accident. The collision resulted in two fatalities and left two other crew members injured. The crew of the struck aircraft included a pilot officer and a leading aircraftman, with the latter being among those killed.
Findings
Official investigations determined that the primary contributing factor was the failure of one aircraft to join the formation with the knowledge of all members. This action constituted a violation of established flying regulations regarding formation entry procedures.