Anson Mk. I 6250

BCATP Training 1941-February-25 to 1941-February-25

() ANS (RCAF) Rivers, Manitoba

On 25 February 1941, Anson 6250 (ex-RAF W1675) of 1 ANS (Air Navigation School) departed RCAF Rivers MB, on a routine navigation flight. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. The pilot did not have enough experience to fly by instruments and tried to fly by visual ground contact through a snow flurry. At approximately 1500 hrs, the aircraft flew into surface of Oak Lake, about 25 miles south-west of Rivers. The aircraft was destroyed and all four men aboard were killed.

Local search parties from the surrounding district searched all night by horse and sleigh for the plane, without success. Search parties from RCAF Rivers joined the search and the wreckage was found at 0800 hrs on the 26th February by Earl Williams, who lived on a farm near Oak Lake. The day before he had seen the plane flying in the storm and was sure it was going to crash and actually heard it. He rode several miles on horseback to look for the crashed aircraft but could not find it because of the storm. Wreckage was strewn for 70 yards around the plane when it was found. The bodies of the crew were found in the twisted wreck.Their bodies were returned to Rivers on the 27th. They were then sent to their home towns for burial.

source: Aviation Safety Network