No fatalities

Seaplane accident at Fort Frances harbor in July 1930 (G-CAOR)

Fort Frances, CanadaTakeoff (climb)

On July 15, 1930, a Curtiss HS-2L (registration G-CAOR) operated by Provincial Air Service of Lands & Forests was involved in an aviation accident near Fort Frances, Canada during takeoff. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of control following a collision with a floating obstacle during the takeoff run. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 6 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-04Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane struck a floating obstacle during takeoff from the Fort Frances harbor in July 1930, resulting in an inverted landing with no injuries reported.

What happened

In July 1930, a seaplane encountered a serious incident while attempting to depart from the waters of the Fort Frances harbor. During the takeoff run, the aircraft made contact with a floating obstacle on the water's surface. This impact caused the pilot to lose control of the machine, leading it to come to rest upside down in the water. Despite the severity of the crash and the inverted position of the wreckage, there were no casualties among those aboard.

Findings

The specific date of this mishap has not been definitively established in historical records, though it is known to have occurred sometime during the month of July 1930. The primary factor leading to the loss of control was identified as the collision with the unmarked floating object during the critical takeoff phase.

Probable cause

Loss of control following a collision with a floating obstacle during the takeoff run.