Date:	Wednesday 14 May 1958
Time:
Type:	Douglas C-47A-20-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator:	Wheeler Airlines
Registration:	CF-DME
MSN:	13177
Year of manufacture:	1944
Engine model:	Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Aircraft damage:	Substantial, repaired
Category:	Accident
Location:	near Arctic Bay, NU -   Canada
Phase:	Unknown
Nature:	Cargo
Departure airport:
Destination airport:	Arctic Bay Airport, NU (YAB/CYAB)
Confidence Rating:	Accident investigation report completed and information captured

Narrative:
The DC-3 took off at 10:00 from a DEW-line site for a VFR cargo flight to Arctic Bay. Cruising altitude was 3000 feet. At 65 miles South of Arctic Bay the aircraft encountered a scattered to broken cloud or ice fog condition and the aircraft flew on or 10 minutes without visual reference to the ground. The DC-3 then collided with a 2800 feet high snow-covered mountaintop and became airborne again. With the engines on fire the plane crashed and burned.

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The aircraft struck the ground while the pilot was flying on instruments in cloud in an area in which the height of the ground was uncertain."

ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 59-AN/54 (133-134)

photo (c) Roger Arsenault; Arctic Bay, NU; 15 July 1982

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