No fatalities

Sydney Approach Accident: Aircraft Strikes Earth Mound (CF-TEL)

CanadaLanding (descent or approach)

On August 12, 1948, a Canadair C-4 North Star (registration CF-TEL) operated by Trans-Canada Air Lines - TCAL was involved in an aviation accident near Canada during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was too low on final approach, causing it to strike an earth mound short of the runway threshold. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft struck an earth mound during final approach to Sydney, causing a fire after landing. The plane was destroyed, but all 17 occupants survived without injury.

What happened

During the final approach phase at Sydney, the aircraft descended lower than intended and collided with an earth mound located short of the runway threshold. Upon impact, the undercarriage punctured a fuel tank, which immediately triggered a fire. Despite the collision and subsequent ignition, the aircraft completed its landing sequence safely. It came to rest on the ground fully engulfed in flames, resulting in damage that rendered it beyond repair. Remarkably, all 17 occupants emerged from the incident unhurt.

Findings

The primary contributing factor identified was the aircraft being too low during the final approach segment. This deviation led directly to the collision with the terrain feature prior to reaching the runway threshold.

Probable cause

The aircraft was too low on final approach, causing it to strike an earth mound short of the runway threshold.