No fatalities

Seaplane ditching near Yellowknife with no injuries (CF-CPR)

Yellowknife, CanadaLanding (descent or approach)

On August 18, 1945, a Noorduyn Norseman (registration CF-CPR) operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines - CP Air was involved in an aviation accident near Yellowknife, Canada during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A seaplane experienced multiple bounces during a landing attempt on a lake approximately 40 miles north of Yellowknife, resulting in the destruction of the aircraft but leaving all four occupants uninjured.

What happened

An incident occurred involving a seaplane operating in the region north of Yellowknife. During the final approach and landing phase on a lake situated roughly 40 miles from the city, the aircraft failed to settle smoothly. Instead, it bounced twice before making hard contact with the water surface.

The impact was severe enough to shear off the floats, which are critical for buoyancy and stability in this type of aircraft. Following the collision, the airframe came to rest in the water and was destroyed. Despite the total loss of the machine, the outcome for the people on board was fortunate. All four occupants were reported as unhurt following the event.

Findings

The source material does not provide specific technical findings or a formal investigation report detailing the root cause of the bouncing behavior. However, the sequence indicates that the aircraft's ability to maintain stability during touchdown was compromised, leading to the structural failure of the floats and the subsequent destruction of the airframe.