Canadian Pacific Airlines Flight 21
Encyclopedia
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Flight 21 was a domestic scheduled flight from Vancouver
, British Columbia
, Canada
, to Whitehorse
, Yukon
, Canada via Prince George
, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson
and Watson Lake
on Thursday, July 8, 1965. The Douglas DC-6B
plane crashed near 100 Mile House, British Columbia, taking the lives of all 52 aboard. An inquest determined that the explosion was the result of a bomb, but the source of the bomb was never determined.
calls were heard by air traffic control
in Vancouver. An explosion had occurred in the left aft lavatory. The tail separated from the fuselage. The aircraft spiraled and crashed into a wooded area. All of the 46 passengers and 6 crew perished. The crash site is 40 km (24.9 mi) west of 100 Mile House, British Columbia. Remnants of the DC-6 remain at the crash site near Dog Creek in British Columbia.
concluded "an explosive substance foreign to the normal contents of the aircraft" caused the crash. A witness on the ground saw the tail of the aircraft separate from the fuselage and debris trail out behind the aircraft. The debris turned out to be the bodies of passengers forced out by the depressurization of the aircraft. The fuselage was consumed by fire where it fell but the tail, found a half kilometre away, was not. Rescue crews reached the crash site while the fire continued to burn but no survivors were found. Crash investigators found traces of acid that led them to believe a bomb in the lavatory was involved. Traces of potassium nitrate
and carbon, consistent with a "low-velocity explosion" were found. Gunpowder or stumping powder causes a low-velocity explosion. The explosion damaged bulkheads in the lavatory, severed pipes in the tail and tore a metre-wide hole in the side of the fuselage. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
investigation focused on four passengers although none was a suspect. Charges were never laid. The source of the explosion remains unknown.
Canadian Pacific Airlines
Canadian Pacific Air Lines was a Canadian airline that operated from 1942 to 1987. It operated under the name CP Air from 1968 to 1986...
Flight 21 was a domestic scheduled flight from Vancouver
Vancouver International Airport
Vancouver International Airport is located on Sea Island in Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, about from Downtown Vancouver. In 2010 it was the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements and passengers , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport, with non-stop flights daily to...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, to Whitehorse
Whitehorse International Airport
Erik Nielsen Whitehorse International Airport is located in Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada. It is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the government of the Yukon Territory...
, Yukon
Yukon
Yukon is the westernmost and smallest of Canada's three federal territories. It was named after the Yukon River. The word Yukon means "Great River" in Gwich’in....
, Canada via Prince George
Prince George Airport
Prince George Airport is an airport that serves Prince George, British Columbia, Canada, and the surrounding area. It is located just within the southern boundary of the city, southeast, and is run by the Prince George Airport Authority....
, Fort St. John, Fort Nelson
Fort Nelson Airport
Fort Nelson Airport, , is located east northeast of Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:-See also:*Fort Nelson Water Aerodrome*Fort Nelson/Gordon Field Airport*Fort Nelson/Mobil Sierra Airport...
and Watson Lake
Watson Lake Airport
Watson Lake Airport is located west of Watson Lake, Yukon, Canada, and is operated by the Yukon government. The paved asphalt runway is long and is at an elevation of ....
on Thursday, July 8, 1965. The Douglas DC-6B
Douglas DC-6
The Douglas DC-6 is a piston-powered airliner and transport aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company from 1946 to 1958. Originally intended as a military transport near the end of World War II, it was reworked after the war to compete with the Lockheed Constellation in the long-range...
plane crashed near 100 Mile House, British Columbia, taking the lives of all 52 aboard. An inquest determined that the explosion was the result of a bomb, but the source of the bomb was never determined.
Incident
While en route from Vancouver, BC to Prince George the DC-6 Empress of City of Buenos Aires crashed after passing Ashcroft, British Columbia. About 15:40 hrs, three MaydayMayday (distress signal)
Mayday is an emergency procedure word used internationally as a distress signal in voice procedure radio communications. It derives from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me"....
calls were heard by air traffic control
Air traffic control
Air traffic control is a service provided by ground-based controllers who direct aircraft on the ground and in the air. The primary purpose of ATC systems worldwide is to separate aircraft to prevent collisions, to organize and expedite the flow of traffic, and to provide information and other...
in Vancouver. An explosion had occurred in the left aft lavatory. The tail separated from the fuselage. The aircraft spiraled and crashed into a wooded area. All of the 46 passengers and 6 crew perished. The crash site is 40 km (24.9 mi) west of 100 Mile House, British Columbia. Remnants of the DC-6 remain at the crash site near Dog Creek in British Columbia.
Aftermath
A coroner's inquestInquest
Inquests in England and Wales are held into sudden and unexplained deaths and also into the circumstances of discovery of a certain class of valuable artefacts known as "treasure trove"...
concluded "an explosive substance foreign to the normal contents of the aircraft" caused the crash. A witness on the ground saw the tail of the aircraft separate from the fuselage and debris trail out behind the aircraft. The debris turned out to be the bodies of passengers forced out by the depressurization of the aircraft. The fuselage was consumed by fire where it fell but the tail, found a half kilometre away, was not. Rescue crews reached the crash site while the fire continued to burn but no survivors were found. Crash investigators found traces of acid that led them to believe a bomb in the lavatory was involved. Traces of potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
and carbon, consistent with a "low-velocity explosion" were found. Gunpowder or stumping powder causes a low-velocity explosion. The explosion damaged bulkheads in the lavatory, severed pipes in the tail and tore a metre-wide hole in the side of the fuselage. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
investigation focused on four passengers although none was a suspect. Charges were never laid. The source of the explosion remains unknown.