Accident Summary
On a local training flight from Toronto-Downsview Airport, a single-engine airplane crashed approximately 17 minutes after takeoff. The aircraft was cruising near the airfield when its right wing suffered a structural failure, detaching from the fuselage. The separated wing passed over the fuselage and struck the tail, shearing it off. The airplane then dove out of control into a snow-covered field and burst into flames upon impact, resulting in its total destruction. All four occupants were killed.
Aircraft and Crew
The aircraft was carrying one Canadian instructor from De Havilland and three pilots from the US Army, including one pilot and two student pilots. The crew consisted of William A. Ferderber (instructor), Major Aaron G. Atkisson (student pilot), Captain James P. Dowling (student pilot), and Captain Louis Durant (pilot).
Probable Cause
The official investigation determined that the right wing failure was caused by excessive negative lift forces imposed on the aircraft, leading to complete severance. These forces resulted from the aircraft penetrating the wing vortex turbulence area of an Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck, generating negative G forces beyond the design criteria of the airplane.