Buffalo C46 near Deline on Sep 25th 2015, engine oil leak, prop did not feather, intentional gear up landing and runway overskid

Last Update: October 15, 2015 / 20:28:53 GMT/Zulu time

Bookmark this article

Photo of Buffalo Airways C-GTXW, CURTISS CW-20 Commando — Buffalo Airways C-GTXW, CURTISS CW-20 Commando (Photo credit: cambridgebayweather / Flickr / License: CC by-sa)

Incident Facts

Date of incident
Sep 25, 2015

Classification
Accident

Airline
Buffalo Airways

Flight number
J4-525

Departure
Yellowknife, Canada

Destination
Norman Wells, Canada

Aircraft Registration
C-GTXW

Aircraft Type
CURTISS CW-20 Commando

ICAO Type Designator
C46

A Buffalo Airways Curtiss C-46A-45CU, registration C-GTXW performing flight J4-525 from Yellowknife,NT to Norman Wells,NT (Canada) with 3 people on board, was enroute at 6500 feet MSL about 140nm southeast of Norman Wells when the crew observed a rapid drop of the right hand engine's (PW R2800) oil quantity, the right hand propeller oversped. The crew adjusted the propeller pitch to control the propeller's speed but continued to observe a rapid drop of engine oil quantity. A visual check confirmed the right hand engine was leaking engine oil via a breather vent at a rapid rate. The right hand propeller speed could no longer be controlled prompting the crew to shut the engine down and feather the propeller, the propeller however failed to enter the feathered position. The crew considered to divert to Tulita,NT but quickly determined that the rate of descent would not permit to get to Tulita. The only option left was Deline,NT, featuring a gravel runway 08/26 of 3930 feet/1200 meters, which however reported only half of mile visibility and a 300 feet cloud ceiling. The crew declared emergency, advised they might need to go down 20nm west of Deline but set course to Deline, advised they had managed to get to 5nm west of Deline and were attempting an approach to the airstrip, managed to break clouds in position for a landing on Deline's runway 08, the crew decided to not lower the gear in order to keep their airspeed above stall. The aircraft touched down on its belly about half way down runway 08, skidded past the runway end and came to a stop about 700 feet past the runway end. There were no injuries, the aircraft however sustained substantial damage beyond repair.

The Canadian TSB reported that the engine's oil scavenge pump had failed.