Dakota III FZ576 - Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada
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The A-Team
N 50° 43.750 W 127° 26.728
9U E 609712 N 5620860
On April 19, 1944, a Royal Air Force Dakota III, serial number FZ576, crashed on approach to RCAF Station Port Hardy in British Columbia, Canada.
Waymark Code: WM12XC3
Location: British Columbia, Canada
Date Posted: 07/31/2020
Views: 1
The aircraft was originally built in 1942 as a C-47A Skytrain for the US Army Air Force (serial number 42-92323). It was later transferred to the Royal Air Force, redesignated as a Dakota III (serial number FZ576), and stationed at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, British Columbia, Canada as part of No. 32 Operational Training Unit RAF.
On April 19, 1944, the aircraft left Patricia Bay on a training mission. The original plan had been to fly several legs and make an approach to RCAF Station Port Hardy, and then to return to Patricia Bay. However, the crew realized they weren't going to have enough fuel to return to Patricia Bay, so they elected to land at Port Hardy instead. Poor weather caused the pilot to miss the first attempt, so they went around for a second attempt. The aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed into a hill about 4 nautical miles short of the runway. The nose of the aircraft hit a boulder killing the pilot and navigator, Pilot Officers J.M. Talbot and T.S. Wordlow. Wireless air gunner Sergeant T.R. Moss survived and was found by search crews dazed but uninjured.
Since the aircraft was on approach for landing when it ran out of fuel, it was a relatively low-speed crash and a majority of the aircraft remained intact. While the cockpit was destroyed by the crash and later rescue work, much of the fuselage is intact and visitors can look inside through the side cargo door. The wings were sheared off and are no longer recognizable. One of the elevators is still attached, while the other elevator and the tailfin are now beside the fuselage. Despite the crash occurring so long ago, the RAF roundel is still clearly visible on both sides of the fuselage.
On September 25, 2002, a memorial plaque was installed and dedicated at the crash site. It was placed in the location of the destroyed cockpit, where the two airmen died. Several high-profile dignitaries, including politicians and military representatives, were flown to the crash site by helicopter for the ceremony. The plaque reads as follows:
Dakota 576
Crashed 19th April, 1944
P.O. J.M. Talbot, Pilot - KIFA
P.O. T.S. Wordlow, Pilot - KIFA
Sgt. T.R. Moss, W.A.G. - Survived
While on a navigation exercise
from R.A.F. 32 O.T.U. Pat Bay, B.C. The
aircraft overshot Port Hardy Airport
and ran out of fuel.
Reqiescat en pace fratres
101 R.C.A.F. (North Island) Squadron
August, 2001
The crash site can be accessed via a rough 1.8 km trail starting from the Bear Cove Highway at N50 43.407 W127 27.359, just before the BC Ferries Bear Cove terminal.