The Catalina Preservation Society

The 1944 crash of PBY  11007

On the February 10th 1945 RCAF Canso 11007 left Coal Harbour on a rough winter’s day and flew to Tofino to pick up some PBY engine parts and then spent the early evening hours in the Tofino mess. Loaded with 12 people, four 250 pound depth charges, normal emergency gear and about 750 gallons of fuel they were cleared for takeoff at 2300 hours on runway 25. The PBY Canso had just cleared the end of the runway when the port engine failed. Pilot Ronnie Scholes later said they were too low to turn and couldn’t gain altitude so he decided to land straight ahead and flew the Canso into a full-stall landing at impact point on Radar Hill.

Three of the crew were unhurt, one pilot had a fractured forehead and a broken nose and another crew member had a sprained ankle while the others had numerous scrapes, cuts and bruises – all fortunately minor.

The crew moved downhill about 150 feet, set up a parachute for a tent and the three uninjured made trips back to the Canso for the emergency gear (sleeping bags, emergency rations etc.) They bedded down the more seriously injured in the tent and established a watch, trying the ‘Gibson Girl’ without an aerial as the pilot wouldn’t let any of the fellows climb a tree in the dark. At about 0300 hours, they could hear shouting from the Tofino airport and then an aircraft being cranked up. A few minutes later the crew could see the plane’s port running light, so one of the men fired a red flare with a Very pistol the search and rescue aircraft circled around the hill and dropped a parachute flare which thankfully missed the gasoline soaked and bomb ladened downed PBY.

The next morning the crew was rescued and all taken to the base hospital for treatment and observation. The Canso was left where it crashed

Eighteen days after the accident, on February 26th, PBY Canso 11024 piloted by S/L Chasson arrived at Coal Harbour to replace the crashed PBY.

The first few flights in early March were in a transport role, including trips to Alliford Bay, Port Hardy and Comox British Columbia.

The first operational mission for PBY 11024 was a patrol on March 10, 1945 and it was not an auspicious event. Captained by S/L Chasson, the trip was marred by bad weather, severe icing and an unserviceable radio. The Station Daily Records deemed it “Patrol Incomplete”.