Mt Benson - Pleasure & Tragedy - Nanaimo sites & symbols

[campbellb]

I was told a log time ago it was a machine plane carrying machine parts and only the two pilots died. Thats what I heard.

My grandfather was a passenger.

[stanley strazza]

Hello campbellb...I am interested in your story of your grand father on Queen Charlotte Airlines flight # 102 Kitimat-Vancouver, October 17th, 1951.... I will be sending you a private e-mail soon...cheers!........Stanley Strazza

[stanley strazza]

Hello campbellb...I am interested in your story of your grand father on Queen Charlotte Airlines flight # 102 Kitimat-Vancouver, October 17th, 1951.... I will be sending you a private e-mail soon...cheers!........Stanley Strazza

...Becky...I am amazed at your awesome and wonderfull story concerning your grandfather James history.......I too am from a big family (6 brothers and 2 sisters).....after re-reading the QCA passenger list ( a copy made up for the inquirey ), I see that James actually got on the plane at Kamano not Kitimat....the strange thing I do not undersdtand is why pilot McQueen continued on to stop again at Kildala when he allready had a full plane load of passengers from both Kitimat and Kamano.......nice chatting with you Becky.....more stuff on the way to you soon.........God bless..............Stanley

[campbellb]

...Becky...I am amazed at your awesome and wonderfull story concerning your grandfather James history.......I too am from a big family (6 brothers and 2 sisters).....after re-reading the QCA passenger list ( a copy made up for the inquirey ), I see that James actually got on the plane at Kamano not Kitimat....the strange thing I do not undersdtand is why pilot McQueen continued on to stop again at Kildala when he allready had a full plane load of passengers from both Kitimat and Kamano.......nice chatting with you Becky.....more stuff on the way to you soon.........God bless..............Stanley

Oh wow! My entire family is amazed with your kindness and generosity with your time for sharing information, I have been forwarding it to them all...thank you so much!

That is really wierd about stopping with no reason at Kildala? I wonder why?

[stanley strazza]

Hi Becki...I am delighted to help in anyway that I can....I went to city hall to-day and got a copy of the Nanaimo Cemetary records for you....I will have to scan it to send it to you via e-mail, as half my notes are on paper and the other stuff is on CD's.......I am on a early pension, a fixed income, so it may take a little while to get this done, as the college library I use must get their pound of $$$ to use their facilities....I think their euipment is the best to use and the cheapest......as for the reasons for a stop over at Kildala Arm by good ole' Capitan McQueen, I had heard that possibly this was a fuel stop or something....I really can't say for sure, it is one of those holes in my story that is driving me nuts....I am thankfull that you are sharing this info with your kin....that makes my contribution even more exciting......well Becky get ready for another e-mail to-day cause' here another one comes...........God bless.......Stanley

[campbellb]

You are really an angel. I am more than happy to contribute to the cause, let me know if I can help

Hi Becki...I am delighted to help in anyway that I can....I went to city hall to-day and got a copy of the Nanaimo Cemetary records for you....I will have to scan it to send it to you via e-mail, as half my notes are on paper and the other stuff is on CD's.......I am on a early pension, a fixed income, so it may take a little while to get this done, as the college library I use must get their pound of $$$ to use their facilities....I think their euipment is the best to use and the cheapest......as for the reasons for a stop over at Kildala Arm by good ole' Capitan McQueen, I had heard that possibly this was a fuel stop or something....I really can't say for sure, it is one of those holes in my story that is driving me nuts....I am thankfull that you are sharing this info with your kin....that makes my contribution even more exciting......well Becky get ready for another e-mail to-day cause' here another one comes...........God bless.......Stanley

[stanley strazza]

You are really an angel. I am more than happy to contribute to the cause, let me know if I can help

Becky......this aircraft wreck-chasing that I do is more to me like a hobby I have tried to avoid anything that cost $$$ in my search....I only have to renew my library card at Vancouver Island University, and this will happen within the week......you can rest assured that you will not pay a dime for me sharing any of my notes....you surely have paid dearly allready by wondering all this time for answers to your grandfathers demise.......by the way I also type like a chicken pecks, one finger at a time on each hand.....so when ever I use the computer it takes me a while sometimes to get any thing done the first time.......you know what I mean, I'm old school and I love it....Yes that flight engineer Gordy Simpson had moved on to Pacific Western Airlines out of Vancouver BC to finish out his career and I do believe he had retired from there.....the reason I sent you his picture was because I had only just found it on the PWA website after 7 years looking for it...he was one of several reasons to support that the pilot could be blamed.....God bless......stanley

[ME Gillan]

I've just stumbled onto this site and wonder where you are in your research & writing of the above-noted crash. My father was one of the passengers (Eric Melanson)

[stanley strazza]

I've just stumbled onto this site and wonder where you are in your research & writing of the above-noted crash. My father was one of the passengers (Eric Melanson)

hi there......I am still collecting notes from Jimgle Pot Rd residents at this time.....I think it will be some time before I get this all in order and on paper yet....I enjoy the hunt for new info, that is what wreck-hunting is all about.......I have a few holes in the flight route info that is going to help me tell you what actually went on that fatefull night of Oct 17th, 1951............stanley strazza

[AceMcCool]

Does anybody know when the plane was suppose to take off and land? Ive thought about running the flight through my flight simulator. The plane that crashed looked alot like the PBY Catalina parked at the airport. Also does anyone know if they flew along the coast or inland on the inside of the mountains?