306

C-GWDW at Campbell River's Tyee spit.

Photo: John Caswell © 29 July 2012

Photo: Dirk Septer © 29 July 2012

C-GWDW at Campbell River Airport.

Photos: Bob Kobzey © 14 February 2012

C-GWDW now serving with Tsayta Aviation.

C-GWDW with Sharp Wings.

C-GWDW at Wollaston Lake, SK.

Photo: Darrel Giesbrecht © c.1984

N311N at Nice on the French Riviera.

Photo: Unknown photographer © November 1961 - Robin A. Walker Collection

51-16521 at Sidi Slimane AFB., Morocco.

Photo: Neil Macdougall © 20 September 1956 - Kenneth I. Swarz Collection

51-16521 parked at Blackbushe, England.

Photo: Unknown photographer - MAP © Wayne Mutza Collection

306

51-16521 • N311N • 51-16521 • N17395

C-GWDW

• 51-16521 USAF #1118. L-20A No. 119: Command AF-1. Delivered 04-Jul-1952. Built as L-20A and re-designated U-6A in 1962.

• 51-16521 California ANG.

• N311N Fictitious registration for use in Ethiopia. Used from Jan-1972.

Note. When operating in Ethiopia aircraft wore pseudo civilian registrations to salve the conscience of local Ethiopian politicians of the time who were unhappy that US aircraft were operating there.

• 51-16521 Stored at MASDC., Davis Monthan AFB., AZ. Details unknown.

• N17395 Lake Area Vocational Technical School, Waltersburg, SD. Schools. Regd Jan-1975. Canx 13-Feb-1980.

Airworthiness Certificate: 19-May-1976

• C-GWDW Geofan Exploration Ltd., La Ronge, SK. On CCAR at May-1981.

• C-GWDW Great Shield Air Services Ltd., La Ronge, SK. Regd Jan-1982 Canx 27-May-1982.

• C-GWDW Wollaston Lake Air Service Ltd., Wollaston Lake, SK. Canx 11-Jun-1986.

• C-GWDW Sharp Wings Ltd., Williams Lake, BC. Regd 22-Oct-1986. Canx 24-Nov-1993 & Re-regd 24-Nov-1993. Canx 09-Jun-2009.

• C-GWDW Tsayta Aviation Ltd., Fort St. James, BC. Regd 09-Jun-2009.

CADORS 2016P1167: Crashed 15-Jul-2016 15 nm ESE Telegraph Creek, BC • 1K

2016-07-21

TSB#A16P0116: C-GWDW, a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver floatplane operated by Tsayta Aviation, departed Telegraph Creek Water Aerodrome, BC (CAH9) destined for Mowdade Lake, BC at approximately 2040 PDT on 15 July 2016 on a VFR flight itinerary round-trip with one pilot on board. When the aircraft did not arrive at Mowdade Lake and did not return to CAH9, a search was initiated. The aircraft's wreckage was located at approximately 2000 PDT the following day in a ravine at an elevation of about 5000 feet near the headwaters of Elwyn Creek, BC. The aircraft was consumed by fire and the pilot was fatally injured.

2016-07-28

Narrative:

UPDATE: JRCC Victoria SARSUM Report# [V2016-01788]: (574876N 1304738W - Mowdade Lake). Tsayta Lake Aviation called to report an overdue de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on floats with one person on board (POB). There was no 406 emergency locator transmitter (ELT) on board and no flight plan was filed. No ELT was reported in the area. The Cormorant and Buffalo were tasked. The Buffalo got on scene and located the crash site. An A-Star Helicopter from Dease Lake (40NM) was chartered and tasked to assist.

• Destroyed by Fire •

USAF History

51-16521 was made available on 17-Jun-1972 and accepted on 26-Jun-1952 and delivered to Donaldson AFB., Southern Carolina on 03-Jul-1972 where it was assigned to the Tactical Air Command and initially with the 64^th Troop Carrier (Medium) Wing It then swiftly moved to the 4^th Liaison Squadron on 22-Jul-1952 remaining until 13-Dec-1952 after which it passed to the Air Material Command and the 2847th Transportation Control Depot (TPC) Wing at Newark, New Jersey prior to it being transported to Neubiberg, Germany.

On arrival at Neubiberg on 23-Jan-1953 it was assigned to Air Force Europe and the 86^th Fighter Bomber Wing remaining until 18^th Feb-1953 after which it passed to the 85^th Air Depot at Erding until 02-Apr-1953 when it moved to Furstenfeldbruch joining the 4^th Liaison Squadron. On 04-Feb-1952 it passed to the 7030^th Headquarters Group at Erding until 17-Jun-1954. The aircraft became the first Beaver to be based in the UK when it joined the 7559^th Maintenance Group at Burtonwood, Lancashire and then to RAF Sealand, Cheshire which was taken over by the USAF. The unit was designated 47^th Bombardment, Light Jet (BLJ) Group. (The aircraft were B-45As). The aircraft returned to Burtonwood on 08-Sep-1955 with the unit being re-designated the 3110^thMaintenance Group on 01-Jan-1956.

Emblem of the 47^th Bombardment, Light Group.

The next move was to North Africa and to Nouasseur, Morocco and an assignment with the Air Material Overseas Command initially being attached to the 3150^th Maintenance Group on 21-Apr-1956 which was re designated 3153rd Field Maintenance Squadron on 30-Jul-1957. Staying at the same location it was re assigned to the Strategic Air Command Overseas and attached to the 3922^nd Air Base Group. Staying in North Africa the aircraft moved on to Wheelus Air Force Base in Libya and was attached to the 7272^nd Air Base Wing. This allocation lasted between 21-Dec-1962 and 22-Feb-1963.

It then returned to Mainland US and was re assigned to the Logistic Command at the Fairchild Aircraft Facility at Hagerstown, Maryland for three months until 02-May-1963. It then returned to active service with the Strategic Air Command at Schilling AFB, Kansas with the 310^th Strategic Air Wing.

Its further history is to be researched.