Date:	Sunday 21 September 1941
Time:	17:20 LT
Type:	Avro Anson Mk I
Owner/operator:	32 OTU RAF
Registration:	N9818
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	Old Settler Mtn 10 mi SW Yale BC -   Canada
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Ferry/positioning
Departure airport:	Fort Macleod, Alta.
Destination airport:	RCAF Patricia Bay, BC

Narrative:
First date: 25 June 1941 - Taken on strength at Aircraft Repair, Edmonton

Assigned to Western Air Command on 3 September 1941, for use by No. 32 Operational Training Unit at RCAF Station Patricia Bay, BC.

Two Ansons, N9818 and N4901 departed Fort Macleod at 0745 on a ferry flight to their final destination at Patricia Bay, BC. The two aircraft stopped at Kimberly BC for fuel before continuing west for a stop at Vancouver. The aircraft had been flying on top of a broken overcast and were seen flying past Princeton at 12:30pm. As they reached Hope, B.C., a weather front was encountered and both aircraft climbed to 16,000 feet where they entered the clouds. After being in the clouds for a short time, moderate icing was experienced by the pilot of Anson N4901 and he decided to turn back to Princeton, B.C. to await more favourable weather. It is thought that the pilot of N9818 tried to push through the weather conditions to Vancouver, but was reported as missing at 16:00 hrs.

The weather was not conducive to an immediate aerial search, but aircraft from Macleod and Patricia Bay were in the air early the next morning. The wreckage was located at 08:30 the next morning by the crew of an Anson from Patricia Bay. It was high up on the slope of the 7000 ft (2133m) Old Settler Mountain, approximately 10 miles SW of Yale BC (not NW as reported in several RCAF documents).

It took another day for the first rescuers to reach the site on foot. The wreck was at 5400 ft (1646m), and the bodies of the three occupants were found at the crash site. The terrain was extremely difficult and it was impossible to bring the three bodies down the mountain. They were cremated on site and the ashes buried in a rock cairn.

It was suspected that the Anson iced up as it continued west through the weather front. The pilot could not maintain altitude or control of the aircraft and attempted a forced landing but crashed into the mountain resulting in the deaths of the pilot and two passengers.

last date: 21 February 1942 - Struck off charge as "destroyed"

The Vancouver Sun, September 22, 23 and 24, 1941
The Chilliwack Progress, September 24, 1941, p1
https://caspir.warplane.com/crashcards_pdf/0002/00000189.pdf
https://heritage.canadiana.ca/view/oocihm.lac_reel_c12347/80
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?820-32-Otu
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18427789/lloyd-william-brooks
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18427786/lionel-poston-britland
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/18428495/douglas-buchanan-wortley
Article from Esprit de Corps Magazine regarding the attempted recovery of the Crew by Anne Gafiuk
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?820-32-Otu

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
10-Apr-2012 16:50	Dr. John Smith	Added
12-Jan-2016 20:38	JIXN	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Narrative]
27-Jan-2019 08:10	Anon.	Updated [Departure airport]
12-May-2023 05:58	Cosmo	Updated [[Departure airport]]