What happened
During an instrument flight rules (IFR) cruise at 6,000 feet, a Canadair C4-1 operated by TCAL collided with a RCAF North American T-6 Harvard, registration 3309. The Harvard was being operated by a single pilot who had recently departed from Moose Jaw Airfield for a local training flight.
Following the impact, both aircraft lost control and descended rapidly toward the ground. The North American T-6 crashed onto a golf course, resulting in the death of the pilot. The Canadair C4-1 struck a residential building in a suburb of Moose Jaw, causing the deaths of all 35 people on board the aircraft and one person inside the house.
Findings
Investigation into the collision identified that both pilots failed to maintain an adequate lookout for other aircraft. While the responsibility to avoid the collision rested with the Harvard due to its position on the right side of the larger aircraft, the T-6 was climbing through altitudes typically occupied by traffic using that airway.
Investigators also noted that a window post on the left side of the Canadair C4-1 may have obstructed the crew's view of the approaching Harvard, though this could not be definitively confirmed.