Accident: *Buffalo DC-3 at Yellowknife on 19Aug2013, engine fire*

The Canadian TSB conducted an investigation into the accident.
Ground observers reported the aircraft did not extend the gear on final approach and landed on its belly coming to a stop about 100 meters short of the runway in a ditch.
Passengers reported the right hand engine was on fire, the aircraft clipped the tops of a number of trees before the crew was able to steer the aircraft onto an open field for a hard touch down. All occupants are safe.

NAV Canada reported later that the aircraft departed runway 16, during climb out tower observed torching and smoke from the right hand engine and notified the crew, but received no reply. Tower cleared the aircraft to land on runway 10 and advised emergency services, the aircraft circled for an approach to runway 10, on final approach tower notified the crew the gear was not down, the aircraft crash landed on the south west in field south of the threshold runway 10. The airport was closed for about 45 minutes until runway 16/34 was made available again.

On Aug 28th 2013 the Canadian TSB reported that shortly after takeoff from runway 16 the crew observed a fire in the right hand engine (PW R-1830-92), shut the engine down and performed a low altitude turn towards runway 10. The aircraft struck a stand of trees south west of the threshold runway 10 and landed with the gear up south of the runway, no post impact fire occurred, the aircraft was evacuated. No injuries occurred to the 21 passengers and 3 crew.

On Apr 27th 2015 the Canadian TSB released their final report concluding the probably causes of the accident were:
Findings as to causes and contributing factors
- An accurate take-off weight and balance calculation was not completed prior to departure, resulting in an aircraft weight that exceeded its maximum certified take-off weight.
- The right engine number 1 cylinder failed during the take-off sequence due to a pre-existing fatigue crack, resulting in an engine fire.
- After the right propeller’s feathering mechanism was activated, the propeller never achieved a fully feathered condition likely due to a seized bearing in the feathering pump.
- The windmilling right propeller caused an increase in drag which, combined with the overweight condition, contributed to the aircraft’s inability to maintain altitude, and the aircraft collided with terrain short of the runway.
- The operator’s safety management system was ineffective at identifying and correcting unsafe operating practices.
- Transport Canada’s surveillance activities did not identify the operator’s unsafe operating practices related to weight and balance and net take-off flight path calculations. Consequently, these unsafe practices persisted.

Arriving emergency services, who had been near the threshold of runway 10 due to an unrelated vehicle recovery operation, foamed the aircraft as a precaution.
The TSB reported that the aircraft was not equipped with a flight data recorder or a cockpit voice recorder and was not required to carry those items by Canadian regulations.

The TSB reported that the aircraft is certified for a maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) of 26,200 lbs. The aircraft carried 2707lbs of fuel, 21 passengers along with their cargo and 3 crew, which using standard weights resulted in an estimated takeoff weight of 27,435 lbs, 1235 lbs above MTOW.
The TSB cited a study by the Australian TSB who had experimentally determined the aircraft with the left hand (critical) engine shut down and the propeller windmilling would be able to climb at 100fpm at 26,200 lbs, maintain altitude at 28,000 lbs and descend at 90 fpm at 30,000 lbs.

The TSB reported that the right hand engine's #1 cylinder's head and barrel were found separated due to a fracture of the barrel along the threaded joint with the head. A pre-existing fatigue crack was discovered in a thread groove, the cause of the crack could not be determined due to the accident impact damage.

The feathering system of the right hand propeller was designed to move the propeller to 88 degrees of pitch which stops the rotation of the propeller and thus reaches minimum drag. An oil pump driven by an electrical motor supplies oil pressure to the propeller dome which moves the propeller into its feathered position, when the propeller reaches the full stop position the pressure would increase to 600psi at which point the the cut out switch prompts the motor to de-energize. If the pressure of 600psi is not reached the motor and pump continue to operate until they fail. The feathering system is also design to unfeather the propeller. If the feathering system continues to run beyond the feather position, the propeller would move through the feathered position and reach fine pitch again. Douglas had issued a flight operations bulletin following an accident in the Netherlands advising crews that it was possible to interrupt the feathering manually in case the cut off switch did not operate, the accident crew was aware of this bulletin. In the post accident examination During the propeller was found at a blade angle of 46 degrees only which reduced but did not stop the windmilling.

The TSB analysed: "Feathering the propeller of an inoperative engine is critical to the performance of a multi-engine aircraft as it reduces parasite drag by moving the propeller blades towards a coarser pitch angle relative to the flight path of the aircraft. In most cases, the propeller will stop spinning.
A non-feathered, or windmilling, propeller will induce a high parasite drag penalty on aircraft performance.
In order to maintain airspeed at or above the minimum airspeed of 90 knots indicated airspeed (KIAS), Buffalo 168 (BFL168) sacrificed climb performance and was barely able to maintain a constant altitude. Manoeuvring the aircraft to return to the airport led to a loss of altitude, which ultimately resulted in the collision with terrain.
After the right propeller’s feathering mechanism was activated, the propeller never achieved a fully feathered condition due to a system failure.
Post-occurrence testing of the propeller feathering system indicated the oil pump motor failed likely due to a seized bearing. Activation of the feathering system results in the pump motor running until sufficient oil pressure develops to trip the pressure-sensitive cut-out switch, set for 600 pounds per square inch (psi), which occurs when full feather position is reached. The compromised bearing likely slowed the motor speed resulting in decreased oil pressure. The pump will continue to run until it fails if the trip pressure is not reached and system operation is not monitored. There is no back-up pump."

The TSB analysed: "Aircraft performance, as indicated in the aircraft flight manual (AFM), is predicated on the weight of the aircraft. In this occurrence, a complete and accurate weight and balance report was not calculated prior to takeoff.
As the aircraft’s weight and balance had not been updated since 1990, using actual passenger and cargo weights may not have produced an accurate take-off weight. As such, the crew would not be able to determine accurately the aircraft’s performance capabilities during a normal takeoff.
As was determined in the 1994 Australian DC-3 accident report19, aircraft operating above the maximum certified take-off weight (MCTOW) experience a serious degradation in climb performance when experiencing an engine failure with a windmilling propeller."

The 2 images were included in the TSB report that was forwarded to me by email.

There were other indications that the organizational culture at Buffalo Airways was not supportive of a system that required the organization to take a proactive role in identifying hazards and reducing risks.
The company’s response to deficiencies identified during TC surveillance activities demonstrated an adversarial relationship between the company and the regulator. The company refuted the regulatory basis of findings, questioned the competence of TC inspectors and initially did not take responsibility for the issues identified.
The overall picture that emerged from this investigation is of an organization that met the basic requirements of regulations and then only when pushed by the regulator.
An SMS introduced into a culture motivated merely to comply with regulations is unlikely to be effective. The operator’s SMS was ineffective at identifying and correcting unsafe operating practices.

With respect to the regulator, Transport Canada, the TSB analysed: "The current approach to regulatory oversight, which focuses on an operator’s SMS processes almost to the exclusion of verifying compliance with the regulations, is at risk of failing to address unsafe practices and conditions.
If TC does not adopt a balanced approach that combines inspections for compliance with audits of safety management processes, unsafe operating practices may not be identified, thereby increasing the risk of accidents."

MY VISIT TO BUFFALO AIRWAYS @YELLOWKNIFE IN 2006

Gary wrote me how he "..sold Bob Sholton a Douglas C-118 in the late-1970s, serial no. 33234. It had painted under the pilots window 'Smokey II'.
I saw it on the ramp at Fairbanks in 1997, while on my way to recover a B-17 and wondered if it was still operating? I got it from the Air Force, where it had been operated by General Lucius Clay, Commander of N.A.T.O. It was polished finish and beautiful interior with mahogany paneling."

I wrote Gary: "..this VC-118 53-3234, this link offers the details as flown by Northern Air Cargo, Bob Sholton's outfit:www.aerialvisuals.ca
Id's to work with: N4213X and c/n 44605.
You'll find it on my website: ANCHORAGE,AK 2006
NAC was taken over (Feb.2006) BY Saltchuk Resources, which got rid of the piston transports and 33234 was scrapped during Aug.2006.

Gary responded with more details: "The C-118 I acquired from the Air Force at Davis Monthan.
The engines had all been removed and placed in cans. The props & Q.E.C.'s were all broken down and in four very large containers.
I had it towed to Desert Air Parts and Ralph Ponte and I began to rebuild the Q.E.C.'s around the engines and assemble the props.
It took us about four months to get her back up and running. The name, I just found on a photo, was "Ol Smokey". During the build up Bob Sholton showed up and made me an offer on her. I turned it down. He came back everyday for a week and made offers!
I finally accepted and he had us remove the stainless galley and the N.A.T.O. safe, for secret orders I guess, and we ran her up and prepped her for the flight to Alaska.
His crew came down and picked her up."

Here are a few more images (& comments) from Gary, of 'Ol'Smokey' being prepared for a civilian career:

Ol'Smokey being towed from Davis Monthan, towing Ol Smokey to Desert Air Parts, which is one of those
old aviation places that........ well, aren't there anymore.

Towing through the dip; letting the nose strut down, so the tail will not drag going through
the 'Dip' on the way out of D.Monthan. They are all just a snap shot of what it was like to get
aircraft from Davis Monthan storage in the late 1970's.

Tom Fitzgerald, of Desert Air, lifts the power line so the tail will clear just before Allied Scrap Metals' gate.

Ol' Smokey, loading engines and props. Here we are picking up the engines at D.M.
The C-118 engines were in cans and the two spares I got we took off Convair T-29's.

Run up before departure to Alaska (The MASDC/AMARC code seems to read CG078 -Webmaster)
And that must be N9663N on the far right in the picture (identity by the cheatline -Webmaster)

Gary also wrote a similar history on C-117 C-117 serial no. 17140:
"The C-117 I acquired from the Marine Corp at Davis Monthan.
But before I could get her towed over to Desert Air Parts, a hurricane hit D.M. and flipped a P2V Neptune over on its back and it landed on the left wing of my C-117!
The Marines would not give me another C-117, but did give me another wing panel.
I towed it over to Desert Air Parts and changed to wing out and prepped it for flight. Audi Air showed up and I sold it to them. They had me take it up to Ralph's RPM Aviation in Grass Valley(CA) and do an annual on it.
Audi Air picked it up there and went to Alaska with it."

My reply can be read on Questions & Answers, but the short story is c/n 43385 was broken up but its parts continue on 2 other C-117s: c/n 43301, N32TN & c/n 43332 N99857."
See a 2003 image of the surviving nose section of N9663N at Opa Locka, an image by Gerben Groothuis, HERE....

On another subject: "I recovered a B-17 from Alaska and the parts from it I used to restore a B-17E 'My Gal Sal', which I recovered in 1995 from the Greenland ice cap.
It is now on display at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans. The tail section from the Alaska B-17 I restored as a stand alone display for the Ultimate Sacrifice Memorial, but it has now become part of another B-17 being restored back at Don Brooks' place."

Now I see why people at the airport could not direct me to the DC-3 when I asked about it: it isn't based at the airport but parked at a nearby farm! The above image was taken by Johan on 30Apr2009 and he reported to have seen it yet again in 2013. It seems the location is a bit hard to find due to N84KB being hidden by the trees.
Location: 44°39'20.76"N, 123°12'46.15"W (Flying Tom airstrip). See Wikipedia!

UPDATE: N84KB was ferried for Basler Turbo Conversions in Oct.2018 to Oshkosh, as a future conversion project.

Photo: Mike Emery/Palladium-Item

Terry Fletcher seems to have found the solution!
"I believe the aircraft in question is Douglas C-49H (ex) N1690 and former 42-68688".
C/n 2180 was for sale on eBay in June 2004 and I have it in my records it sold for usd 16.100,-
Online database ATDB.aero has N1690 as ‘ sold at auction’, which ties in with the reference to eBay.
See this link for an image at Allentown 14Mar2004, a restoration project that never got going: www.airliners.net/photo//0533320/L
Info to this image: "N1690 / 42-68688 (c/n 2180). Built in 1939; delivered to Braniff Airlines and utilized by USAAF in Panama Canal Zone 1942-1945.
Returned to Braniff in 1945-1950. Formerly owned by the 'Allied Air Force' preservation group. Plans are to restore to airworthy status again."

Phil wrote (27Mar15):
"Thanks to Dave Powell’s heads-up email recently, I was prepared when I landed at SBN on Tuesday morning from Chicago O'Hare.  'Bar Fly' has two locations, one in the gate area, and one outside Security. 
Here are some photos.

South Bend International Airport (IATA: SBN, ICAO: KSBN) is 3 miles northwest of South Bend, in St. Joseph County, Indiana.
Formerly South Bend Airport and South Bend Regional Airport, it is the state's second busiest airport in terms of commercial traffic after Indianapolis International Airport. [Wikipedia]

Anyone with a suggestion to its former identity? EMAIL It seems the DC-3 / C-47 cockpit was 'found' in a desert north of Los Angeles, where it spent many years of outdoor storage.
Perhaps it originates from the El Mirage 'Aviation Warehouse'?
Btw, check out this report on El Mirage http://lostamerica.com/photo-items/aviation-warehouse/