What can the letters CF-APP on plane tell me about the aircr

[Billie T.]

Helle Everyone,

I thought that I had posted this before, but it doesn't appear that I have.

I've attached a photo of a plane that went through the ice in northern Canada, but I believe that it happened in northern Ontario, to be more precise.

Does anyone know what kind of aircraft it may be, and what can the letter CF-APP on the side of the body of the plane tell me?

Thank you in advance for all your help

Bill Thompson

[Lurch]

The historical database for those markings don't go back that far, so the only thing I can tell you is it looks like a Single Otter, DHC-3.

I'm sure others with better seach abilities will be able to tell you more.

Lurch

[SherpaT]

Otter 138

"Otter 138 was delivered to Wideroes Flyveselskap & Polarfly A/S of Norway on 27th July 1956 registered LN-BDD. It was the second Otter to be delivered to Wideroes, the first having been LNSUV (41) in June 1954. As with 'SUV, LN-BDD was flown across the Atlantic in wheel-plane configuration and then put on floats for operation in the fjords of northern Norway. The Otter passed through Prestwick Airport, Scotland on 3rd August 1956 on delivery, flown by pilots of Fleetway Inc, a ferry company. LN-BDD continued in service with Wideroes for fifteen years, until 1971, when along with the other two surviving Wideroe Otters it was sold to Laurentian Air Services Ltd. The Bill of Sale for all three aircraft is dated 19th October 1971. The three Otters (LN-BDD, LN-BIB and LN-LMM) were shipped to Laurentian's base at Ottawa, Ontario. On the date of sale, LN-BDD's total time was 11,900 hours. On arrival in Ottawa, all three Otters were given a major refurbish and repainted from the Wideroe green colour scheme into Laurentian's colours. On completion of the work, LN-BDD was reregistered CF-APP to Laurentian Air Services Ltd on 10th July 1972 and entered service with its new owners. It went on lease to Labrador Airways at Goose Bay from 30th January 1973 to 28th February '73, then returning to service with Laurentian, flying in northern Quebec. CF-APP suffered an accident and was lost on 5th May 1973 at Port Burwell, some eighty miles south of Resolution Island, Northwest Territories. After landing, the Otter was taxied off the ice strip so that a passenger could get a better photograph of an iceberg. Sadly, it then sank through the ice and became completely submerged. The occupants escaped, but the Otter sank to the bottom and was never salvaged."

I stole this from http://flythebush.blogspot.ca/ Cool site !

[bobo]

BillyT
I was right on it being an otter and above the tree line. Steve Taylor, The Otter Flogger, has a wealth of information about anything Otter related. I am not sure if he is a member of AVCanada or not.

[oldtimer]

The CF- in the letters CF-APP first of all says it is a Canadian civil aircraft. Nowadays, C-(4 letters) says it is a Canadian civil aircraft.
Also the CF-APP says it was registered in Canada prior to 1975, otherwise it would hold registration C-GAPP.
If the airplane were recovered and returned to service now, it would be registered C-FAPP. Otherwise, the marks would become available and if anyone wanted them, they would be issued.
The last 3 letters can be personalized, if avalable, for a small fee or an applicant can pick from the available marks or they are picked at random.

[Billie T.]

Hello Everyone,

I just want to thank “Bobo”, “SherpaT”, and “Oldtimer” for all their help with my inquiry. It was very much appreciated.

With the help of the three, I was able to find out that the Otter was piloted by Merv Langille of Nova Scotia.

According to his family, he got out of the aircraft just as the water was saturating the ass of his pants.

On another submission, I was researching the history of Kagianagami Lake, which is approximately 120 km northeast of Nakina, Ontario. That research involved everything from Aboriginal history, the Hudson Bay Company and aviation, including plane crashes.

Many thought that there were only three plane crashes, but I now think I have enough documentation to prove that there were four, with one of them involving Merv “Langville” (one of the many different ways that his last name has been spelled.

I was very surprised when “Bobo” contacted me to say that he was in the Superior Airways Cessna 180, CF-IRM when it crashed on Aug. 12, 1969 at about 1 p.m.

Merv Langille was the pilot on the flight, “Bobo” also a pilot, was in the back sitting on a tent and John Edwards, a third pilot of Wingham, Ontario, was in the passenger seat.

In short, Merv attempted to take off downwind and could not get the 180 to fly so turned around and took off into the wind. They never got over about 30 feet and he attempted a steep right hand turn to miss the trees on shore and the aircraft stalled and hit the water right wing tip first. It then cart wheeled and came to rest nose down on about 15 feet of water near the shoreline.

Ostrom came to the surface and John was sitting on the right hand wing flap and had a broken right arm. Merv was trapped in the airplane caught on some of the wreckage. Ostrom got him untangled and pulled him clear. He was not breathing so Ostrom gave him mouth to mouth and he started to gasp and choke and throw up water.

There were a father and son staying at the camp on their first Canadian fishing trip. They did not see the crash, but did hear it and when they got on the dock they then could see the tail of the airplane sticking out of the water. They reacted quickly and got in the boat and came over and assisted Ostrom in getting Merv, John and himself into the boat and back to the camp

The weather continued to deteriorate and stayed that way for two days so no one could look for us. On the third day Tony Jetton who was the base manager in Nakina landed at the camp on his way to Nakina with some other fishermen on board. He left two of them at the camp along with me and took Merv and John back to Nakina and returned to pick Ostrom up. I suffered a cut on my back and cuts across my fingers on one hand but was the least injured of the three of us.

. . . The next day Ostrom was back in the air again flying the Beaver for Superior Airways. Merv returned to fly the Beechcraft a couple of days later. John spent a couple of days in the hospital in Geraldton getting his compound fracture set and put into a cast. He then returned home to Goderich Ontario where he was the chief painter for Sky Harbour Air Services. He is now retired as am I.

That’s about it for the story on Otter 138.

Before I go, I would like to say that I am very impressed with the AVCANADA we site and even more impressed with the quality of the people that provide assistance with the inquries.

Thank you all again.

Bill Thompson

[bobo]

BillieT
Great job of detective work to get all the clues put together. Some of us old timers appreciate learning "The rest iof the story".

[Siddley Hawker]

Billie T just for your info there's another aircraft on the bottom at Port Burwell, a Noorduyn Norseman, CF-LFR. LFR was the last production Norseman and was operated by St. Felicien Air Service, based out of what was then Fort Chimo. It went through the ice in Port Burwell during the spring of 1963 or 64, I forget which, and was never salvaged.

[SheriffPatGarrett]

Piece of work going there...violent sea currents...extreme weather that changed in minutes,
there used to be quite a large Inuit village there but no flat spot for a runway.
I believe that they had to move to a more secure location before too many would perish.
(place is teeming with every sort of game and fishes)
Google Earth show a few buildings still standing, all made of galvanized iron, if I remember well.
And all secured by heavy cables tied to rods drilled in the rock, due to the frequent hurricane force winds.
Pretty much the most extreme location on the planet.


Actually, Johnny did not crash, after stopping, the plane just busted through the ice,
which was eaten up underneath by fast currents. Still, he had to climb on top
and walk away over the wing...too bad, that was a nice Norseman...

[Siddley Hawker]

..too bad, that was a nice Norseman...

Yes it was, the last one out of Noorduyn. Phil Lariviere test flew it the first time, which gave him the distinction of having flown the first one, CF-AYO and the last one, LFR. When St. Felicien got into sched work with the DC-3, they registered their first DC-3 CF-LFR. It's at Buffalo now, I believe.

[Billie T.]

Hello Everyone,

Thanks for the additional information. The more I talk to the "senior statement" of bush pilots, the more I'm impressed. Talk about a tough bunch of fellas. God.

Hopefully, when I put the finishing touches on one of my plane crash stories on Kagianagami Lake, I will be able to tell you about a "bush pilot" that I've had the pleasure of communication with. He's a humble gentlemen and now retired.

But, in short, I think he was - and still is a hero! And I can now prove it.

Thank you again for all your help.

Billie T.

[Siddley Hawker]

You're very welcome. After you finish your stories post a link on this thread, I shall certainly read them.

[Johnny#5]

Interesting stuff...thanks for posting...