Information on Merv Langelle dying in plane crash in Africa

[Billie T.]

Hello Everyone,

I am looking for information on the death of Canadian Pilot Merv Langelle.

I know that Langelle used to fly in northern Ontario for Superior Airways back in the 1960 and maybe the 70s, but I heard that he was killed in a plane crash in Africa, but I am not sure of the year.

If anyone has any information on the African crash, I would appreciate it.

Sincerely
Bill Thompson
Kitchener, Ontario journalist

[Billie T.]

Hello Everyone,

I now have the rest of the story on pilot Merv Langille and I can thank “Bobo” for the clue to solving it.

As I was to find in doing research, if you don’t have the correct spelling of an event or name, you quite often end up going down the wrong trail or end up on the wrong airstrip.

However, in one of Ostrom's earlier emails, he mentioned that he thought that Merv was from “down east”. So in my mind that meant New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island or Newfoundland and Labrador.

So off I went and after about three days on the internet searching through obituaries of last names spelled Langville, Longville, Langelle, Langel, Langil and Langille, I found Merv.

Interestingly a number of the family trees showed that the spelling of the last name changes in some cases, and for what I can only guess, is a number of different reasons.

So the rest of the story is that Mervin Langille, the son of Leonard Langille and his wife Mabel (McQueen), was born on Aug. 14, 1940 at Tatamagouche, Colchester Co., Nova Scotia and he died on Oct. 23, 1977 in the plane crash of a DC-3 (C-FSAW), but not in Africa, but rather near a small village named Manidar in Iran.

The obituary version of the story says that the plane crashed near Sabzevar, which is probably because it is the largest city in the area, with a population of about 208,000.

However, Aviation Safety Network and other aviation-based versions, have the plane crashing near a small village of 942 in northeastern Iran, called Manidar. The village is in a mountain range and is about 155 km from Sabzevar.

There were three killed in the crash and the plane was leased by a company named Uniran from Geoterrex to conduct survey flights searching for uranium. Merv a pilot with Geoterrex of Ottawa, a company that was engaged in uranium explorations through a consortium of French, Canadian and other “uranium firms of the atomic energy organization”.

Merv was on a rest period ion the plane and while flying in a valley at 400 feet above ground level, the plane collided with the side of a mountain while making a 180 degree turn. The weather was poor, overcast, with high winds and snow. If they had reached another eight feet in altitude, they would have missed the mountain.

All three on board were killed. Langille was through from the aircraft, but the other two pilots were found still strapped into the plane.

Merv was survived by his wife Marias, formerly of Rio de Janeiro, two brothers, Lloyd and Howard, and sisters Anne and Georgine (Mrs. Walter MacKay).

In a happy twist to the story, although, it wasn't mentioned in Langille's obituary, his wife Marias was eight months pregnant with Merv. Jr.

Last fall, Merv Jr. returned to visit his uncle Lloyd and his wife Marlene in Nova Scotia and while there, he scanned in all if the photos that his father had taken over the years.

I know that you probably know what a DC-3 looks like, but I've attached a photo of the plane anyways. It'n not the best photo, but it was all I could find.

Lastly, thank you to Lloyd, Marlene and Merv Jr. Langille for all their help.

Bill Thompson

[Johnny#5]

Hey interesting stuff....thanks for posting!

[Siddley Hawker]

I seem to remember that SAW was originally with the Saskatchewan Government Airways back in the day. It went next to Air Gaspe, which was where I was familiar with it. When Quebecair took over Air Gasp from Michael Pouliot they sold SAW, I believe in the US, but when the James Bay hydro project began in the late 1960's - early 1970's DC-3's became a rare commodity. SAW was acquired by Nordair and put to work on the project. That was probably where Geoterrex got it.

[Moose47]

G'day Sid

Here's what I have for history on for CF-SAW / C-FSAW.

Cheers...Chris

During the Second World War, this aircraft served with the U.S.A.A.F. overseas. It was assigned to the 37th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 316th Troop Carrier Group, 12th Air Force.

Post-war it served with a number of companies including Trans World Airlines, Reynolds Tobacco, Sears-Roebuck & Company Limited and finally, Aero Services Corporation of Washington DC. It had three different registrations, the last being N161V. This registration was canceled on the 11 of January, 1972.

Spartan Air Services of Ottawa registered the aircraft as CF-SAW on the 17th of March, 1972. It went to Geoterrex Limited Ottawa, Ontario in 1974. It was associated with Uninran Limited. The aircraft was re-registered as C-FSAW in 1976. This aircraft crashed 20 km north-east of Monida, Iran on the 23rd of October, 1977.

Cheers...Chris

[Siddley Hawker]

Oops, wrong SAW. I guess QB must have sold the original to Nordair. My bad.

[Moose47]

G'day Sid

The first CF-SAW was ex-Royal Air Force. It was used commercially post-war in the United Kingdom, Portugal and Greece. After being imported to Canada, it was registered as CF-SAW and commenced opertions with the Saskatchewan Government Airways on the 27th of November, 1953. It along with CF-KBU were used on skeds.

From there it went to Northland Air Lines of Winnipeg, Manitoba on the 10th of June, 1961.

To Air Gaspesian Airlines Limited - 14th of November, 1961

To Air Gaspe Incorporated 18th of July, 1962

To the United States - date unknown - N3339 with Omni Aircraft Sales

Registered as N12CA by Sam Berstein of Tulsa Oklahoma on the27th of July, 1971

To Nordair Limited of Montreal, P.Q. as CF-NAO on the 24th of February, 1972

To Pemair Limited in 1974

To Austin Airways in 1975

Back to the U. S. with multiple users

This is where I end the history lesson.

Cheers...Chris

[Sillohed]

I flew N161V/C-FSAW extensively throughout the far east and Africa in the late 60's and early 70's. The airplane was fitted with dual magnetometer birds flown beneath the airplane. We did a survey out of Bandar Abbas, Iran. N161V was one beautiful airplane when Aero Service purchased it from Sears. Too bad people lost their lives in the accident. There were two other DC-3's involved in aerial survey that crashed in Algeria about the same era. Those had no fatalities. I am attaching a couple photos of N161V when it was in Bandar Abbas.