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C-FFHO awaiting her tail feathers, in Kuby's Kenora yard.

Photo: Rich Hulina © 11 April 2015

C-FFHO getting fuel at Kenora.

Photo: Rich Hulina © 25 September 2012

C-FFHO at Kuby's in Kenora.

Photo: Michel Leonard & Marcel Fluet-Lecerf © 27 July 2009

C-FFHO in a Thunder Bay snowdrift.

Photo: Rich Hulina © 06 March 2004

C-FFHO gets up on the dolly.

A fine original Beaver.

C-FFHO at her home base on Partridge Lake, Jellicoe, Ontario.

A couple of eager dock rats, Jenni and Jake.

Photos: Fran Koning & George McCullagh ©

C-FFHO leaving it a bit late as usual.

Photo: Keith Fox © December 1983

C-FFHO better equipped.

Photo: Unknown photograpgher © Water Survey of Canada Archives - via Craig Paul

C-FFHO on Cat River, near Slate Falls First Nation, ON.

Photo: Unknown photograpgher © July 1981 - Water Survey of Canada Archives - via Craig Paul

CF-FHO at Fort William, Ontario. (Now called Thunder Bay)

Photo: Peter Keating © 10 August 1977 - Ian MacFarlane Collection

Photo: Karl Kramer © 27 or 28 July 1975 - Kenneth I. Swartz Collection

CF-FHO in identical fine black and white study.

CF-FHO • C-FFHO

N218RD

• CF-FHO Sherrit-Gordon Mines / Sherrit-Gordon Air Transport, Sherridon, MB. Delivered 21-May-1949.

Incident: Eldon Lake, Winter 1965/66. Destroyed by fire. Remains purchased by Orville Wieben of Superior Airways and rebuilt.

• CF-FHO Superior Airways, Thunder Bay, ON. Circa 1968-1978.

• CF-FHO Central Air Transport Ltd., Sioux Lookout, ON. Possibly regd between 1980-1983 then re regd 12-Jun-1986. Canx 25-Oct-1988.

• CF-FHO Gold Belt Air Transport Inc., Pickle Lake, ON. Regd 25-Oct-1988. Canx 23-Apr-1999

• C-FFHO Ara Lake Camp Ltd., Beardmore, ON. First Regd 19-Apr-2001. Canx 22-Aug-2002. Regd 24-Jul-2003 & 19-Aug-2003. Canx 02-Feb-2004. Regd 03-Jun-2004. Canx 10-Feb-2005. Regd 10-May-2005. Canx 31-Jan-2006. Regd 20-Jun-2006. Canx 31-Jan-2007. Regd 11-Jul-2007. Canx 28-Aug-2012

• C-FFHO Kenora Air Service, Kenora, ON. Regd 12-Sep-2012. Canx 18-Dec-2015.

• N218RD Regd 06-Apr-2016.

• N218RD Sunset Flying Service LLC., Eagan, MN • Regd 23-Jun-2016.

Accident: Lake of the Woods, Oak Island, Northwest Angle, MN - 18:30 local 22-May-2021:

Narrative:
A float-equipped DHC-2, N218RD, sustained minor damage when it was involved in an accident near Oak Island, Minnesota. The pilot and one passenger were not injured, and one passenger sustained serious injuries.

Before the flight, the pilot added hydraulic fluid to the reservoir due to a known leak in the airplane's amphibious float landing gear system. At some point during the flight, the left rear wheel extended and protruded from the float. The pilot was unaware of the wheel position and landed on the water near his residence. During the water landing, the wheel contacted the water, and the airplane's nose and propeller assembly immediately went into the water. The pilot and passengers exited the airplane, and the airplane subsequently flipped over. During the accident sequence, one passenger sustained vertebrae fractures, and the airplane sustained minor damage.

Due to the remote accident location, the airplane was not examined; however, the pilot provided photos of the landing gear system problem area and a short video demonstrating the leak in the system. According to the pilot, the leak was the result of a failed O-ring in the lower hydraulic fitting on the jack assembly.

Probable Cause: The failure of an O-ring in the landing gear system, which resulted in the inadvertent extension of the main wheel in the amphibious float. Contributing to the accident was the pilot's decision to depart with a known hydraulic leak in the landing gear system.

• Status unknown •