1956 Royal Canadian Air Force CF-100 Crash Memorial - Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Posted by: 
bluelamb03
N 45° 29.031 W 075° 32.757
18T E 457334 N 5036847
A memorial to victims of the crash of Royal Canadian Air Force CF-100 Mk IVB, 18367, on May 15, 1956.
Waymark Code: WMC993
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 08/11/2011
Views: 33
On May 15, 1956 two CF-100 'Canucks' of 445 Squadron were scrambled out of Uplands Air Force Base to intercept an aircraft approaching Montreal from the north. Having made the identification the two aircraft returned to Ottawa, but climbed to 33,000 feet to burn off some of their heavy fuel load with practice intercepts.
One aircraft returned safely to base after expending the required amount of fuel, but the Canuck 18367 loitered at altitude a while longer. At 10:37 PM the aircraft crashed into the Villa Saint-Louis, a convent belonging to the Grey Nuns of the Cross. No explanation for the sudden descent was ever found, though it was speculated that the oxygen system had failed since there was no radio contact from the two aircrew.
Ironically that area of Ottawa was mostly farm fields, the Villa being the only substantial building for miles around.
The crash and subsequent fire killed fifteen people, eleven Sisters of the Grey Nuns, two other civilians and the two airmen F/O K.D. Thomas and F/O W.L. Schmidt
The co-ordinates given are for the crash memorial pictured in the waymark photos. It stands on the banks of the Ottawa River behind the now rebuilt Residence Saint-Louis, 879 Hiawatha Park Road, now an old age home. The memorial has fifteen stones taken from the ruins of the old Convent.