Consolidated B-24 Liberator accident at Saint-Donat, Canada, 19 Oct 1943 (3701)
On October 19, 1943, a Consolidated B-24 Liberator (registration 3701) operated by Royal Canadian Air Force - RCAF was involved in an aviation accident near Saint-Donat, Canada in flight. 24 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The cause of the accident was never identified conclusively. Nevertheless, it is believed it was caused by the following combined factors: snow storm, inaccurate maps and an improperly set altimeter. 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.
Probable cause
The cause of the accident was never identified conclusively. Nevertheless, it is believed it was caused by the following combined factors: snow storm, inaccurate maps and an improperly set altimeter.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
The aircraft was returning to Canada from the European War Theater with 20 soldiers in permission and a crew of four. After a fuel stop in Gander, the aircraft continued its route to Mont-Joli Airfield. While cruising by night and in snow falls at an altitude of 2,871 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of the Black Mountain (Montagne Noire) located near Saint-Donat, in the Laurentides. SAR operations were conducted for several weeks and 728 reconnaissance flights for a total of 2,438 flying hours were completed without success. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Eventually, the wreckage was found by hikers on June 26, 1946. In 2015, this accident is still considered as the worst in the RCAF History. Crew (10th Squadron): F/Lt J. A. R. Poirier, pilot, F/O S. A. Sanderson, copilot, F/Lt R. F. Fisher, F/O J. S. Johnston. Passengers: W/O J. A. Barabonoff, W/O F. E. Jenkins, W/O J. Silverstein, W/O W. I. Howlett, P/O J. Lamont, P/O R. W. McDonald, Sgt E. M. Finn, Sgt W. J. Macnaughton, Sgt R. F. Ware, Sgt F. H. Elliot, Cpl H. D. Beattie, LAC C. L. Dynes, Cpl A. C. Johnston, Sgt S. A. Wood, LAC J. A. J. P. Veilleux, LAC G. R. Patterson, Cpl H. K. Hambley, Cpl R. D. Marr, LAC E. W. Head, LAC A. J. Radcliffe.
Probable cause (official findings): The cause of the accident was never identified conclusively. Nevertheless, it is believed it was caused by the following combined factors: snow storm, inaccurate maps and an improperly set altimeter.