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Sweny, George William

Killed 1954-April-08

Birth Date: 1900-June-06 (age )

Home: Vancouver British Columbia

Service
Civilian
Unit
 
Rank
Position
Passenger
Service Numbers

North Star C4-1 TCA223

Unspecified 1954-April-08 to 1954-April-08

From Aviation Safety network:

The Canadair C-4 was on a flight to Vancouver and had been cleared on an IFR flightplan flying at 6000 feet on Green Airway 1 between Winnipeg and Calgary, which was the first intermediate stop. At 09:57 an RCAF Harvard Mk. II took off from RCAF Station Moose Jaw for a navigation cross-country exercise. The Harvard was climbing to 9000 feet, crossed the Airway at 6000 feet and collided with the C-4. A large portion of the wreckage fell on a house which was destroyed by fire, killing the only occupant. The Harvard pilot and all 35 occupants of the C-4 where also killed.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "1) Failure on the part of the pilots of both aircraft to maintain a proper lookout, the onus of responsibility for keeping out of the way being with the Harvard aircraft as it had the other on its own right side. 2) The Harvard aircraft in crossing the airway climbed through altitudes normally used by aircraft flying along the airway. 3) The Board up to the present has been unable to determine whether the window post on the left side of the Canadair C4-1 aircraft hid the Harvard aircraft from view, but there are indications that this was possible."

General Aviation Safety network

This incident involved multiple aircraft:

  1. North Star C4-1 TCA223
  2. Harvard Mk.IIB 3309

All the aircraft in the above list are in this report.

Crew on North Star C4-1 TCA223

Crew on Harvard Mk.IIB 3309

Douglas Canadair North Star CL-2 CL-4 CL-5 C54GM

Source .(RCAF Photo) Harold A Skaarup Web Page
Canadair CL-2 (C-54GM) North Star, RCAF (Serial No. 17514). c/n 121
With No. 425 (T) Squadron.

The Canadair North Star is a 1940s Canadian development, for Trans-Canada Air Lines (TCA), of the Douglas DC-4. Instead of radial piston engines used by the Douglas design, Canadair used Rolls-Royce Merlin V12 engines to achieve a higher cruising speed of 325 mph (523 km/h) compared with the 227 mph (365 km/h) of the standard DC-4. Requested by TCA in 1944, the prototype flew on 15 July 1946. The type was used by various airlines and by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). It proved to be reliable but noisy when in service through the 1950s and into the 1960s. Some examples continued to fly into the 1970s, converted to cargo aircraft. Wikipedia and Harold Skaarup web page

Wkikpedia Wikipedia North Star Transport

General Harold A Skaarup Web Page

CASPIR Aircraft Groups:
RCAF On Strength (25)
last update: 2024-04-10 18:09:03

North Star C4-1 TCA223

Harvard Mk.IIB 3309

Used by No. 14 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Aylmer, Ontario. Used post war by No. 402 Squadron (Auxiliary) at Stevenson Field, Manitoba; and at RCAF Station Gimli, Manitoba. Category A damage on 8 April 1954. Mid air collision with Trans Canada Airlines North Star CF-TFW, near Moose Jaw.
1942-03-09 Taken on Strength 2019-08-20
1942-September-29 Accident: 14 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Lipsit | Mcdonnell
1943-October-21 Accident: 14 Service Flying Training School Loc: Aerodrome Names: Scott
1944-February-28 Accident: 14 Service Flying Training School Loc: R1 Yarmouth Names: Mckitrick | Reekie
1954-April-08 Accident: Loc: Moose Jaw Names: Thorrat
1954-05-18 Struck off Strength Struck off after crash, see comments. 2019-08-20

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