Pennfield Ridge Air Station
Accident and/or Mishap Reports
RCAF Station (May 20, 1944-October 1, 1945)
~Operational Training Squadron (July 1, 1944-August 18, 1945)~
~Transport Conversion Unit (July 1, 1944-August 31, 1945)~
Transcribed by G. Christian Larsen

11 November 1944

11-11-45: "W/Cdr. Ross injured in car accident."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

6 December 1944

Ventura III GRV 2149 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - 12 miles South of the field @ 2050 - Category "A"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
WHITE, F/L A.S., DFC	J/23795	Pilot	Missing
REYNOLDS, F/O H.C.B.	J/16971	Pilot	Missing

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Routine Training Flight./ Local night flying practice (2 hours).

Nature and short description of accident: Witness: explosion + fire in the air. Crash into water + remained burning.

Cause of Accident: 19. Out of control. 

Secondary Cause or Contributing Factors: 25. Petrol shortage.

Court of Inquiry or Investigating Officer's Report : 

Cause: No evidence to show how the accident occurred.

Remarks of O.C. Training Group: Concur.

Conclusion of A.I.B.: Cause of accident obscure but apparently due to fire in the air.

SOURCE: Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

Station ORBs

6-12-44: "...apparently exploded in mid-air.."

7-12-44: "F/L Calvert, F/O Carter and F/O Watkins took off at 0930 to search for wreckage of 2149. The A.S.R. vessel from Blacks Harbour also searched the area and picked up three kit bags which were identified as being part of the emergency kit of 2149. An eye-witness of the accident, James Mitchell of Letete, was located. He stated that he saw the aircraft go overhead and when it was about six miles from him, burst into flames and go into the sea."

8-12-44: "The search took off again and combed the sea around Grand Manan Is. and the Wolves. Nothing found by the air search, but local fisherman brought in considerable qualities of wreckage."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

6-12-44: "A/C lost from O.T.S. with two instructors on board."

7-12-44: "All available a/c on search for Ventura. Search called off in P.M. with definite indication a/c exploded in air and went into Bay of Fundy."

SOURCE: T.C.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

10 December 1944

10-12-44: "One a/c (Sgt. Shaw #5 Course) diverted to Yarmouth because of snow."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

1 January 1945

1-01-45: "Crash boat M208 slightly damaged in Blacks Harbour by the high winds and resulting waves."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

11 January 1945

Technical Officer's Report : Condensation and ice formation in tank vent during flight causing tank to fail at the seam and bulge out into the u/c retracting mechanism recess.

11-01-45: "Sgt. Shaw crashed in Ventura 733, following a complete engine failure, and partial U/C failure. The accident was attributed to freezing of the oil tank vent causing expansion, and consequent bursting of the oil tank which failed the U/C lock. There were no injuries to any of the crew members the crash being assessed as category 'C'"

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

20 February 1945

20-02-45: "P/O Astle crashed in Ventura 713 on runway 03 at 2130 hours. Crash caused mainly pilot inexperience, aggravated by ice patches on runway. Crash assessed as 'C' category, no personnel injured."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

5 March 1945

Ventura 2235 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - Runway 27, Pennfield Ridge aerodrome @1930 hours - Category "E"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
CARTER, F/O W.	J/10270	Pilot	Uninjured
ARNOLD, F/O R.L.	J/19045	O.C.	Uninjured
McKINNON, LAC R.B.	R/221515	O.C.	Uninjured

Purpose of Flight: Local Test.

Nature of accident: Landing. Tail of A/C dragged, due to failure of tail wheel, causing damage to belly in vicinity of under gun position.

Classification: 5. U/C Failure.

Secondary or Contributory Factors: 38. Tail Wheel.

Technical Officer's Report : Failure of hydraulic line elbow at tail wheel retracting cylinder, causing loss of hydraulic fluid in main system. 

SOURCE:  Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

5 March 1945

Beech C-45 Expeditor HB268 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - Runway 27, Pennfield Ridge aerodrome @1940 hours - Category "B"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
SULLIVAN, F/L P.J.	C/22660	Flying Instructor	Uninjured
RICE, F/O R.O.	J/13739	Pupil Pilot	Uninjured

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Flying Instruction.

Nature and short description of accident: A/C swung to port on icy runway, striking snowbank and damaging u/c and wing.

Cause of Accident: Icy conditions on the runway and gusty cross wind blowing caused a/c to swing on icy patch near completion o landing run.

SOURCE:  Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

14 March 1945

Ventura IIA FD714 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - Pennfield Ridge aerodrome @ 1757 hours - Category "B"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
AITKEN, F/L G.P.	J/5222	Pilot	Uninjured
COFFIN, P/O E.L.	J/47084	Navigator	Uninjured
DOAN, P/O A.B.	J/47616	Wireless Air Gunner	Uninjured
MAILLOUX, P/O E.E.	J/47618	Wireless Air Gunner	Uninjured
PIZZEY, P/O G.H.	J/47812	Wireless Air Gunner	Uninjured

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Bombing Exercise.

Nature and short description of accident: Speed of 60-70  m.p.h. on take-off, Pilot felt violent swing to stbd. Checked tachometers, r.p.m. on stbd. engine dropped to approx. 2200. Cut throttles immediately and applied brake. Braking action not sufficient to stop a/c and it plowed through the snow bank at the South end of runway. U/C was torn off, and a/c came to rest on its belly.

Primary Cause of Accident: Swung.

SOURCE:  Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

21 March 1944

M.T. Vehicle 32-518  involved in an accident - near Pennfield Corner, NB @ 0100 hours

OCCUPANTS

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Motor Vehicle	Status
LEVESQUE, LAC R.E.	R/84634	Unknown	Died From Injuries
DURAND, LAC J.M.R.D.		Unknown	Uninjured
LeCLAIR, LAC E.		Unknown	Sprained Ankle

21-03-1944: At approximately 0100 hours on the morning of the 21st March, R.C.A.F. M.T. vehicle 32-518 in which LAC Levesque was a passenger, failed to make a turn at Pennfield Corner. The truck left the highway, jumped a ditch and stopped in an apple orchard. When the truck came to a stop, LAC Levesque was found laying under it and injuries were probably sustained in his fall from the truck before it came to a stand-still. A tourniquet was applied to his injured right leg by an airmen shortly after the accident occurred and the airmen was rushed to the station hospital at Pennfield where complete medical care was given him (as stated in Investigating Officer's Report in evidence of S/L Boyd (SMO) and F/L Norris). At 0845 hrs. on the 21st, the airmen died, cause of death in S.M.O.'s opinion being traumatic shock due to extensive injuries of the right leg."

SOURCE: Service Personnel file of LAC R.E. Levesque (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

27 March 1945

20-02-45: "Flying Officer Friedman injured in car accident. He is expected to in {?} for at least three weeks."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

23 April 1945

Beech C-45 Expeditor 1383 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - Runway 33 S.E., Pennfield Ridge aerodrome @ 2010 hours - Category "C"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
WARING, F/L R.C.	J/8398	Pilot	Uninjured
ERNST, F/O R.W.	J/5479	Pupil Pilot	Uninjured

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Check type day.

Nature and short description of accident: A/C made normal circuit and approach and landing. Normal landing was made on runways and during landing run, the stbd. wheel collapsed, allowing a/c to swing off runway damaging wing tip and propellors..

Cause of Accident: Failure of the upper drag strut attachment lugs on the slide assembly.

SOURCE:  Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

3 June 1945

Ventura 2144 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - missing 100 miles east of Halifax, NS (Vicinity of Sable Island) @ 0130 hours - Cat. "A"

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Night Operational Training Flight.

Nature and short description of accident: A/C missing from night O.T.F. Weather conditions good. Ceiling 4,800'. Vis. 15 to 20 miles. No distress signal received.

Cause of Accident: Not Known.

Court of Inquiry or Investigating Officer's Report

Cause: Obscure.

Recommendations: None.

Conclusions of A.I.E.: A/C and crew are missing for an unknown reason.

SOURCE:  Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

Station ORBs

2-06-45: "P/O Harju, Sgt. Bouch, Sgt. Bough and Sgt. Davidson missing after an O.T.F. Searches organized. Nothing found."

3-06-45: "Searching for missing A/C - no trace. Believed down in sea."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

3-06-45: "Two A/C searching all day for missing Ventura from O.T.S."

4-06-45: "Four A/C on search for Ventura."

SOURCE: T.C.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

22 June 1945

Ventura GRV. 2199 attached to Operational Training Squadron, Pennfield Ridge - 2.5 miles NE of the aerodrome - 0425 hours - Category "A"

Court of Inquiry or Investigating Officer's Report :  

Findings (Summary No.2574)

   Cause: Pilot error together with inexperience in a situation aggravated by the factors mentioned in para. 15 above.

   Recommendations: When met. forecast indicates serious weather deterioration, alla/c on CFR nav. training flights should be recalled or diverted at least one hour before the forecast indicates weather below limits at Base unless written permission to the contrary had been given by C.O., C.I., or C.F.I.

   Conclusions: Agree with findings.

21-6-45: "One O.T.S. crew crashed on landing last night. All the crew killed..."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

21-06-45: "O.T.S. lost two aircraft and four men."

SOURCE: T.C.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

22 June 1945

Ventura GRV. 2235 attached to Operational Training Squadron, Pennfield Ridge - Pennfield Ridge aerodrome - 0435 hours - Category "A"

Technical Officer's Report : Nil.

21-6-45: "F/O Close and crew went off of end of runway on landing. No one hurt. A/C damaged. One crew landed at Greenwood."

SOURCE: O.T.S. Daily Dairy/ Library and Archives Canada/ Copy Number C-12368.

~click on photograph~

25 June 1945

Bristol Bolingbroke Mk. IV 9190 attached to RCAF Station, Pennfield Ridge - Pennfield Ridge aerodrome @ 1412 hours  - Category "A"

CREW

SURNAME/ Rank/ Initials	Service Number	Position in Aircraft	Status
GOSTNELL, WO1 H.I.	R/159098	Pilot	Unijured
LeCLAIR, LAC J.E.	R/111397	Drogue Operator	Slightly Injured
CADLOFF, LAC S.P.	R/273259	Drogue Operator	Slightly Injured

Nature of duty on which engaged at time of accident: Air Firing Exercise.

Nature and short description of accident: Stbe. engine failure. Pilot just managed to reach the aerodrome and due to lack of height was obliged to land downwind. Ran into pile of rocks which wiped out u/c.

Primary Cause of Accident: Forced landing.

Technical Officer's Report: A small bit of metal was found in the carb., which fouled the needle valve in such a manner that the engine flooded and subsequently quit.

SOURCE: Accident Report Card (copy in archive holdings of "Pennfield Parish Military Historical Society").

~click on photographs~

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