What happened
During a local training exercise at Moncton Airport, a formation flight involving multiple Royal Canadian Air Force Avro Anson aircraft was underway. The incident involved an aircraft with registration 6273, piloted by LAC Williams, and another Anson operated by P/O Gillard. After receiving dual instruction, the pilot of 6273 joined the formation in the third position on the right side without confirming awareness among all other pilots in the group.
The formation leader signaled for the aircraft to align into a 'line abrest' configuration. As LAC Williams maneuvered to comply with this signal, the aircraft collided with the Anson piloted by P/O Gillard. The impact caused the two airframes to lock together momentarily before they went out of control and crashed to the ground. Both airplanes were destroyed in the subsequent impact.
Findings
The official investigation identified that the pilot of the second aircraft joined the formation without the knowledge of all other members, leading to a lack of situational awareness within the group. This breach of standard operating procedures was cited as a primary factor. The accident resulted in two fatalities and two injuries among the crew members involved.