What happened
On October 17, 1958, a de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver operated by the USAF departed from Grande Prairie, Alberta, headed for Edmonton for scheduled maintenance. During the flight, the crew was diverted to assist in a search for two hunters reported missing near Nose Mountain, south of Grande Prairie.
After spotting the individuals, the crew attempted to descend lower to drop a written message to them. Following this maneuver, all radio communication from the aircraft ceased. A civilian aircraft containing a USAF Sergeant was sent from Grande Prairie to investigate; although the wreckage was found, the search plane lacked radio capabilities and had to return to base to relay the information.
An RCAF Search and Rescue unit from Namao, Alberta, subsequently located the crash site and coordinated with an RCAF helicopter arriving from Dawson Creek, British Columbia. The helicopter crew reached the wreckage and rescued the survivors, though they reported one fatality among the airmen. The injured members of the crew were airlifted to Grande Prairie and later moved by ambulance to a hospital in Beaverlodge.
Findings
- The aircraft was diverted from its original flight path to conduct an unplanned search operation.
- The crash occurred during a low-altitude maneuver intended to facilitate the delivery of a note to persons on the ground.