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C-FBBG at home base, Hawk Lake, Ontario.
Photo: Marcel Fluet-Lecerf © July 2008 - Aird Archives
Photos: Neil Aird © 13 September 2003
C-FBBG at West Government Lake, Ontario.
Photo: John Mazepa © 23 August 2003
C-FBBG of Hawk Air at dock, a favourite shot.
Photo: © Mark Merry
C-FBBG at the end of the day, West Government Lake.
Photo: Matt MacKenzie © 2002 -2004
CF-BBG of Watson's Northern Airways.
Photo: Peter Keating © August 1976 - Aird Archives - via aflyinghistory.com
N2848D at Paine Field - KPAE, Washington.
Photo: J. Zwart © 29 April 1972 - Aird Archives
N2848D at Lake Sawyer, Black Diamond, WA.
Photos: Kevin Esping © August 1970 - Aird Archives
N2848D with WIEN at Anaktuvuk Pass.
Photos: Unknown photographer © 1960 - Jeff Barney & Dan Gilbertson Collection

358

51-16557 • N2848D • CF-BBG

C-FBBG

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51-16557 USAF #1166. L-20 No: 167. Command AF-1. Delivered 10-Sep-1952. Built as L-20A.

N2848D Dan Gilbertson, Fairbanks, AK. First DHC-2 on US Civil Register.

N2848D Wien Alaska Airlines, Fairbanks, AK. Circa. 1964. Leased from Dan Gilbertson. Returned to owner 28-Dec-1964.

Airworthiness Date: 27-Aug-1969.

N2848D Interior Airways Inc., Fairbanks, AK. Circa. 1972.

N2848D Harbor Air Services. Location unknown. Circa. Jul-1971.

Accident: Hurricane, AK. 06-Jul-1971. Ground looped during landing roll. Substantial damage to aircraft, undercarriage collapse. Pilot and seven passengers uninjured. ANC72AA002

CF-BBG Thunderbird Airlines Ltd., Prince George, BC. Regd prior to Certificate of Airworthiness renewal dated 04- Jul-1973. Canx prior to Certificate of Airworthiness renewal dated 04-Jul-1975.

CF-BBG Finlay Forest Industries Ltd., Vancouver, BC. Regd prior to Certificate of Airworthiness renewal dated 04-Jul-1975. Canx prior to 04-Jul-1976.

CF-BBG Watson Algoma Vacations, Wawa, ON. Regd prior to Certificate of Airworthiness renewal dated 04-Jul-1976. Canx date currently unknown.

C-FBBG Manitoba Government Air Services. Winnipeg, MB. Circa 1981–1982.

C-FBBG 445392 Ontario Inc., Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Canx 03-Nov-1982.

C-FBBG Wawa Airways Ltd., Wawa, ON. On CCAR for May-1981.  Canx 22-Apr-1983.

C-FBBG 445392 Ontario Inc., Sault Ste. Marie, ON. Canx 09-Sep-1983.

Accident: Wawa Lake, ON. Lat 48.00N, Long 84.46W. 12-Jun-1986. The captain, who occupied the right seat, was giving the co-pilot a type rating on a company (Wawa Airways) float-equipped aircraft. The aircraft was flown to Wawa Lake, where the co-pilot was to practise touch-and-go landings on the lake. On the first landing, the aircraft touched down normally, but shortly thereafter, the left float dug into the water. The captain reached to the left and pulled back on the controls in an attempt to control the aircraft, but the aircraft veered sharply to the left, and the left wing struck some trees along the shore. There were no rudder pedals installed at the right seat of this aircraft. Aileron and elevator control can be exercised from the right seat by rotating the left seat controls to the right side. The co-pilot had 150 hours on smaller float-equipped Cessna aircraft. Because of the co-pilot's previous float experience and familiarization, the captain felt he could supervise the check-out without access to the flight controls. The co-pilot had flown for 10 hours in the right seat prior to this accident, and during this time, he had received some familiarization in the air handling of the aircraft but had not carried out any landings or take-offs. The recommended landing technique on this type of aircraft and on most float-equipped aircraft is to maintain back pressure on the control column after touchdown, to ensure that the floats do not dig into the water. In this case, possibly because of his unfamiliarity with the larger aircraft, the co-pilot relaxed the back press sure after touchdown, thus allowing the left float to dig into the water. The captain, in the right seat, did not have satisfactory means of controlling the aircraft, and, although he attempted to reach to the left and regain control of the aircraft, he was unsuccessful, and the aircraft swung left and struck trees on the shoreline. FINDINGS: Cause Related: 1. The co-pilot, who was at the controls, did not use the recommended landing technique, and, as a result, the left float dug into the water, and the aircraft veered left and struck the trees. 2. The captain did not have the flight controls at his position and was unable to provide control input assistance during landing. Other: -Nil-

C-FBBG Wawa Airways Inc., Wawa, ON. Regd 17-May-1984. Canx 19-May-1989.

C-FBBG Hawk Air Ltd., Wawa, ON. Canx 22-Nov-1989.

C-FBBG Hawk Air, (705833 Ontario Ltd.), Wawa, ON. Regd 01-May-1990. Based Toronto, ON. Canx 01-Jun-2010. Regd 12-Aug-2010.

Accident: 11-Jul-2019 about 09:00 edt Hawk Junction .

The aircraft was scheduled to fly from Hawk Junction Water Aerodrome, ON (CNH6) to Oba Lake. However, it crashed on take off into a power substation on Mongomery Avenue, in the small town east of Wawa, just northeast of Hawk Lake. There were two occupants and fatalities and the aircraft was written off.

Image: Screen capture © CTV News

Written off

USAF History

51-16557 was made available on 02-Sep-1952 and , accepted on 04-Sep-1952 by the 6600th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit), at Downsview, Ontario after which it was delivered to the Tactical Air Command at Sewart AFB, TN., on 10-Sep-1952to join the 5th Liaison Squadron before being assigned to the Air Material Command at McLellan AFB where it was attached to the Sacramento Air Depot (SARAR) until 26-Mar-1953 when it travelled to San Francisco and to AMC-SF Also designated as SF PE (San Francisco Air Port of Embarkation), It now went to Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska and it is assumed it was transported by Globemaster II. The aircraft spent the whole of its USAF career in Alaska.

At Elmendorf it joined the 5th Liaison Squadron for two weeks from 29-Mar-1954 to13-Apr-1954 before it moved to the 5039th Maintenance Squadron and then on 23-May-1953 to Ladd AFB at Fairbanks, joining the 5064th Cold Weather Material Testing Squadron. The 5064th carried out cold weather testing mission together with the Arctic Aero medical Lab It performed tests on engines, arctic flying clothing, and armament as well as on aircraft maintenance procedures and operated aircraft maintenance and shop facilities. This deployment only lasted until 09-Jun-1953 as it returned to Elmendorf and the 5th Liaison Squadron. It remained until 30-Apr-1954 as it was sent back to Ladd AFB and the 5064th but only for a month as it was passed over to the 5001st Air Base Group on 27-May-1954 for a few days and then back again to the 5064th until 20-Sep-1954. The record now shows it as being attached to the 5001st Operations Squadron , a unit under the control of the Air Base Wing and the record shows an accident 23 mi. SW of Point Barrow ,Alaska on 15-Jul-1955. It suffered category 4 damage (serious / destroyed) during a crash landing following engine failure. The pilot was Robert M. Stachura. After this accident the aircraft appears to have been struck off charge whilst with the 5001st Maintenance Squadron.

Emblem of the 5001st ABG

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A note from Dan Gilbertson :
This Beaver was wrecked as mentioned up by Point Barrow . Harold Hansen bought it at a military surplus auction shortly there after rebuilt it and sold it to my parents , Don and Jacquie, in late fifties for $50,000 on floats . Parents leased it to Wien’s and then they bought it . 

It is both known fact ,and verified by Richard Wien, as the first civilian Beaver in Alaska . Parents bought it in the fall of 1958 I believe after selling their Howard DGA JobMaster to a pilot / entrepreneur in YellowKnife . My Dad had flown his Beaver on floats in YellowKnife and thought it was a great airplane ! Conversely the guy that owned the Beaver flew the JobMaster and loved it and bought the JobMaster at the end of the season . That pilot started Pacific Western Airlines ! 

Just thought it was some interesting history that should be added to N2848D file ? 

Regards Dan   (I agree Dan!)