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2013 Buffalo Airways DC-3C Accident Near Hay River (C-GWIR)

Yellowknife, CanadaLanding (descent or approach)

On August 19, 2013, a Douglas DC-3 (registration C-GWIR) operated by Buffalo Airways was involved in an aviation accident near Yellowknife, Canada during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The official findings identified multiple causes and contributing factors: an incomplete take-off weight and balance calculation resulted in an overweight condition; a preexisting fatigue crack caused a right engine cylinder failure and fire; the right… 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 2026-06-11Data APIEditorial standards
Aircraft registered C-GWIR
Aircraft registered C-GWIR. Photo: RAF-YYC from Calgary, Canada / CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

A Buffalo Airways DC-3C overran a runway after a right engine fire during takeoff from Yellowknife. The overweight aircraft struck trees and landed gear-retracted, but all 24 occupants evacuated safely.

Incident Overview and Immediate Sequence of Events On 19 August 2013, a Buffalo Airways Ltd. Douglas DC-3C, registration C-GWIR and serial number 9371, departed Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, on a scheduled passenger flight to Hay River, Northwest Territories. After lifting off from Runway 16 at 1708 Mountain Daylight Time, a fire developed in the right engine. The crew shut down the engine and executed a low-altitude right turn toward Runway 10. The aircraft struck a stand of trees southwest of the Runway 10 threshold and touched down south of the runway with the landing gear retracted. All 21 passengers and 3 crew members evacuated without injury. No post-impact fire occurred, and the 406 MHz emergency locator transmitter did not activate.

Probable cause

The official findings identified multiple causes and contributing factors: an incomplete take-off weight and balance calculation resulted in an overweight condition; a preexisting fatigue crack caused a right engine cylinder failure and fire; the right propeller failed to fully feather likely due to a seized bearing in the feathering pump; the windmilling propeller increased drag, and combined with the overweight condition, prevented the aircraft from maintaining altitude, leading to a terrain collision. Ineffective operator safety management and Transport Canada surveillance allowed unsafe practices to persist.
Engine failure

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