BC-Yukon Otter

[Antique Pilot]

Here is Otter CF-DIY serial # 454 on take off at Watson Lake, YT. Ray Sande in charge.

Serial # 454 came back to Canada from the Tanzanian Air Force early 1972. Bannock Aerospace handled the import.

DIY was purchased by BC-Yukon to replace the loss of Otter CF-XUX which occurred on July 16, 1972 on the Ram Plateau NWT.

[1000 HP]

Nice Pic

[duCapo]

I flew CF-DIZ #460 for 3 years back in the mid 70s. It was also from the Tanzanian Air Force. It had about 1500 hrs on the air frame when purchased.

[frozen solid]

Awesome shot. I'm really enjoying all these pictures!

[Slats]

Great pics. Curious about the circumstances of the loss of XUX. Flown around the Ram many many times and didn't know of that little bit of history.

[Antique Pilot]

XUX was on a charter to set up a camp on a small lake on the plateau. There was a cook and all the groceries on board. It was Sunday July 16, 1972. I had coffee with the pilot the day before. He flew into the side of a steep hill in poor weather and from the impact marks it was obvious that he was in a very steep left turn trying to avoid the hill. He would have been following a narrow winding creek. It is somewhere on the western side of the plateau. I don't have my maps with me but I can see the approximate location on Google maps. There is a coffee table book out there named "Nahanni". In the book there is a photo of the wreckage taken from a fair distance.

AP

[Slats]

Sundog is on the west side of the Ram. l think Death Lake is in the vicinity but further south if memory serves. Interesting story. l've seen the book you're referring to but don't recall the picture.
Thanks for all the pics; looks like you've had a great career full of adventurous experiences.

[Antique Pilot]

Thanks very much.

Is there a lake in the area called "Crash Lake"? Kind of a rectangle shaped lake running NW-SE. XUX was heading to either Crash Lake or Death Lake. I thought it was Crash Lake. Nice names. The remains of XUX are about 10 miles SW of one of these lakes or 40-50 miles SW of Little Doctor Lake. XUX is along the east side of a creek at the base of the hill that it hit. I did not get into the area enough to really get to know it. I can't get Google Maps to give me a Lat/Long on the site.

AP

[Redneck_pilot86]

There is also a crash lake, both Crash and Death are southwest of the Ram, and about halfway between it and Deadman Valley. Lots of morbid names in that area.

[Antique Pilot]

The remains of Otter CF-XUX are at N61 27' W124 05'. It is in a small creek at the base of a cliff leading into Crash Lake about 500' away.

AP

[Antique Pilot]

BC-Yukon Otter CF-XUX at Telegraph Creek BC June 1972 about a month before it's loss in the NWT.