Mt Benson - Pleasure & Tragedy - Nanaimo sites & symbols

[stanley strazza]

Hi all,

I've just been reading a book titled " The Accidental Airline" by Jim Spilsbury regarding the history of the Queen Charlottes Airline (QCA) It has a chapter in it concerning the crash of the QCA Canso on Mt. Benson..The pilot had radioed that he was 20 miles out of Vancouver and descending, but apparently he mistook the lights of Nanaimo for Vancouver...making a right hand turn, as to approach Vancouver airport from Georgia Strait, he struck Mt. Benson at the 1600 ft level.

Al

......I know you must have chuckled at some of the wild events that had happened in Queen Charlotte Airlines operations...........I sure enjoyed the whole story.........QCA was a accident waiting to happen for sure......Stan the man

[riverrat]

Cool info, Stanley. Way to bring it to life!

[yogi bear]

Stan ( the Man : ))

It was a real good read, and yes I think getting into the QCA (and Baker's PWA as well) planes must had required a huge leap of faith (and intake of liquid courage) !

I am quite the fan of Spilsbury though...his life's accomplishments take a backseat to no one.....Queen Charlotte Airlines, Spilsbury Communications, a creditable landscape artist, photographer, and so much more...to check out his photographic skills, I reccommend "Spilsbury's Album" it's quite the photographic record of the BC Coast....and his first book "Spilsbury's Coast" is a must read for anyone wanting to get a feeling for the coast during the logging heydays of the thirties and forties..

Cheers,
Al

[stanley strazza]

yogi bear.......ditto.......I agree that Spilsbury was a gift to the communication and early air travel world........I am planning on a trip tp Vancouver amd see all his works at the University.........I hear it is quite exstensive.........I need to fill in a few gaps in my story about that Canso-5A, CF-FOQ........I also want to travel to his home land on Savory Island and possibly talk to his kin............Cheers! Stan (the man) Strazza

[stanley strazza]

Cool info, Stanley. Way to bring it to life!

.........Thanx River Rat.....It has been you and your input that has to be commended too.........great site huh!..............Stan the man

[North]

Spilsbury's Album, Spilsbury's Coast & The Accidental Airline are great books!! Good X-Mass gifts..... hint hint

[stanley strazza]

North.......great gifts for sure....they are in my collection too!......enjoy the read if Santa gets them for ya'..............cheers!..........Stan the man.

[stanley strazza]

North...........did you get those Spilsbury books you wanted from Santa Clause yet?.........I got a few doubles you know.............Give me a jingle..
..........I'll see what I can do for ya'...........cheers!........Stan the man.

[CHUBer]

The Alpine website lists the kid who died on Mount Benson as F.T. For the record: Frank was 15, and he died Nov. 28, 1970. He was a nice kid.

[stanley strazza]

Howdy group.....my wreckchasing on CF-FOQ has picked up the pace considerably.....new leads and more proof on the actual flight path into the rock face......yeehaaa!......anybody out there with more info are welcome to pitch in.......The airplane did not turn right as QCA;s president and owner says it did and crash. I can prove that it had turned left in a steep climb after circling the hydro wire tower at the power station and continued on to crash in a vertical angle on a left bank into the rock face of "Benson". Capt Mc Queen and the port side passengers where in pretty good shape as apposed to the rest of them........Stan the man