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Historical photos from the Chapleau Public Library |
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1933. This airplane belonging to Canadian Airways crashed on December 12, 1933. These two pictures were made available by Bob Cameron in Whitehorse, YT. Renald Fortier of the Canada Aviation Museum contributed the following information: "Fairchild 71 CF-AAK. Registered 4 March 1929 - operated by Fairchild Aviation, Grand Mere (Quebec). Registered 1930 - operated by Canadian Airways, Montreal Damaged beyond repair on 12 December 1933 while taking off at Chapleau." The first picture shows the entire airplane. Note the fellow in leather flying gear looking at the engine. You can make out one propeller blade. Note also the wooden crate, upside down in the snow with Pellow's Chapleau written on it and the snapped hydro pole with the street light still attached.
The Toronto Daily Star reported the next day, December 13, 1933 as follows. THREE INJURED WHEN AEROPLANE CRASHES NEAR CHAPLEAU. When the aeroplane flown by Ron George, northern air pilot, crashed into a rocky hill, near Chapleau, Ont., three men, Len Perfetto, W. McDonald and Fritz Fraser were slightly injured. George, who figured in a landing with a broken ski some months ago, again saved his passengers by skillful handling. The 7-passenger machine in taking off was struck by a cross-wind. Another newspaper clipping in the posession of Bud Park of Chapleau, probably from the Sudbury Star, reported the event this way under the picture of the plane: AFTER THE PLANE CRASH AT CHAPLEAU Three men were injured, none seriously, when an aeroplane crashed at Chapleau on Tuesday. The aeroplane was in charge of Ron George, noted northern air pilot, who probably saved the lives of the passengers by his skillful landing under difficult conditions. The wrecked aeroplane is shown above. The crash occured right after the take-off when a cross-wind struck the aeroplane. |
The second picture shows the smashed front of the machine. Note the Canadian Airways logo on the side of the airplane.