Buffalo Airways
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Buffalo Airways is a family-run
airline An airline is a company that provides civil aviation, air transport services for traveling passengers and freight. Airlines use aircraft to supply these services and may form partnerships or Airline alliance, alliances with other airlines for ...
based in
Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
,
Northwest Territories The Northwest Territories (abbreviated ''NT'' or ''NWT''; french: Territoires du Nord-Ouest, formerly ''North-Western Territory'' and ''North-West Territories'' and namely shortened as ''Northwest Territory'') is a federal territory of Canada. ...
, Canada, established in 1970. Buffalo Airways was launched by Bob Gauchie and later sold to one of his pilots, Joe McBryan (aka "Buffalo Joe"). It operates charter passenger, charter cargo,
firefighting Firefighting is the act of extinguishing or preventing the spread of unwanted fires from threatening human lives and destroying property and the environment. A person who engages in firefighting is known as a firefighter. Firefighters typically ...
, and fuel services, and formerly operated scheduled passenger service. Its main base is at
Yellowknife Airport Yellowknife Airport is located in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is part of the National Airports System, and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories. The airport has regular scheduled passenger servi ...
(CYZF). It has two other bases at
Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport Hay River/Merlyn Carter Airport is located north of Hay River, Northwest Territories, Canada. The airport is named for former bush pilot Merlyn Carter, who was killed by a black bear in 2005. Sandhill crane The sandhill crane (''Ant ...
(CYHY) and
Red Deer Regional Airport Red Deer Regional Airport is located south southwest of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The airport serves Charter and General Aviation. In October 2015, Red Deer Regional announced it was to undergo a $9.5 million expansion, including a extension ...
(CYQF). The
Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...
base is the main storage and maintenance facility. The airline is also the subject of the
History History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
television reality series ''
Ice Pilots NWT ''Ice Pilots NWT'' (known in the UK and the US as ''Ice Pilots''''Ice Pilots''
at Quest TV
) is ...
''. The company slogan is ''Your passage to the North.''


Clothing company, television show, and media

In 2007, Buffalo Airways began producing a clothing line that included T-shirts, hoodies, and hats. With the introduction of the
Canwest Global Canwest Global Communications Corporation, which operated under the corporate name Canwest, was a major Canadian media conglomerate based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with its head offices at Canwest Place. It held radio, television broadcasting an ...
(now
Shaw Media Shaw Media was the television broadcasting division of Shaw Communications. Shaw Media owned the Global Television Network, which broadcasts nationally via 13 television stations, as well as 19 specialty channels including Slice (TV channel), Sli ...
) television show ''
Ice Pilots NWT ''Ice Pilots NWT'' (known in the UK and the US as ''Ice Pilots''''Ice Pilots''
at Quest TV
) is ...
'', Buffalo has expanded its clothing company to feature over 30 products and launched a full-service product website called BuffaloAirWear.com. The show, which is produced by
Omnifilm Entertainment Omnifilm Entertainment is a television and film production company based in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Omnifilm produces content in a variety of genres including drama, factual, and lifestyle series and documentaries for the Canadian a ...
and shown on History, features the day-to-day operations at Buffalo Airways. In 2011, Buffalo Airways was involved in a recreation of the historic Dam Busters raids of World War II, flying the mission, with their own plane and pilots. Buffalo dropped an inert reproduction of the 'Upkeep' bouncing bomb from their
Douglas DC-4 The Douglas DC-4 is an American four-engined (piston), propeller-driven airliner developed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. Military versions of the plane, the C-54 and R5D, served during World War II, in the Berlin Airlift and into the 1960s ...
. The project was documented in the television show ''Dambusters Fly Again'' in Canada, ''Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb'' in the UK, and ''
Nova A nova (plural novae or novas) is a transient astronomical event that causes the sudden appearance of a bright, apparently "new" star (hence the name "nova", which is Latin for "new") that slowly fades over weeks or months. Causes of the dramati ...
'' season 39 episode " Bombing Hitler's Dams" in the US. A behind-the-scenes look was also filmed in the ''Ice Pilots NWT'' season 3 episode 2 show "Dambusters".History Television
Dambusters Fly Again
(accessed 2011 August)
The Telegraph (London)

Tom Chivers, 2 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
EAA
"'Ice Pilots' Help Re-Create 'Dambusters'"
, Hal Bryan, 5 May 2011 (accessed 2011 August)
Channel 4
"Dambusters: Building the Bouncing Bomb"
(accessed 2011 August)
PBS, WGBH, Nova

Retrieved: 12 January 2012
History Television
Ice_Pilots_NWT
:_Season_3,_Episode_2:_Dambusters.html" ;"title="Ice Pilots NWT"> Ice_Pilots_NWT">Ice_Pilots_NWT
:_Season_3,_Episode_2:_Dambusters_(accessed_2011-11-11)
In_2012,_''Arctic_Air.html" ;"title="Ice Pilots NWT
: Season 3, Episode 2: Dambusters">Ice Pilots NWT">Ice Pilots NWT
: Season 3, Episode 2: Dambusters (accessed 2011-11-11) In 2012, ''Arctic Air">Ice Pilots NWT
: Season 3, Episode 2: Dambusters">Ice Pilots NWT">Ice Pilots NWT
: Season 3, Episode 2: Dambusters (accessed 2011-11-11) In 2012, ''Arctic Air'', a Canadian aviation drama, used Buffalo Airways hangar as a backdrop for scenes in the show. During a tour of Buffalo Airways' hangar, given by Director of Operations, Mikey McBryan, he explained how the TV show used tarps to cover the Buffalo Airways insignia. On 27 July 2012, Bruce Dickinson, lead singer of Iron Maiden, flew up from Edmonton to Yellowknife with Buffalo Airways. On 28 July, Dickinson, who holds an airline transport pilot licence, flew a Douglas DC-3 to Yellowknife and spent a day as a guest star for a season five episode. In August 2019, owner Joe McBryan was made a member of the
Order of the Northwest Territories The Order of the Northwest Territories (french: Ordre des Territoires du Nord-Ouest) is a civil honour for merit in the Canadian territory of the Northwest Territories. Instituted in 2013, it is the highest honour which can be bestowed by the Gove ...
to honour his work in aviation.


Buffalo Air Express

Buffalo operates a
courier A courier is a person or organisation that delivers a message, package or letter from one place or person to another place or person. Typically, a courier provides their courier service on a commercial contract basis; however, some couriers are ...
service as Buffalo Air Express which started in 1982-1983. It offers service throughout the Northwest Territories (NWT) and
Northern Alberta Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some schemes, the region encompasses everything north of the cent ...
. In association with Global Interline Network it can ship around the world from bases in
Yellowknife Yellowknife (; Dogrib: ) is the capital, largest community, and only city in the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake, about south of the Arctic Circle, on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the ...
, Edmonton and Hay River.Buffalo Air Express
at Buffalo Airways


Firefighting

Under contract for the NWT Government, Buffalo Airways operate and maintain aircraft used in the
aerial firefighting Aerial may refer to: Music * ''Aerial'' (album), by Kate Bush * ''Aerials'' (song), from the album ''Toxicity'' by System of a Down Bands *Aerial (Canadian band) * Aerial (Scottish band) * Aerial (Swedish band) Performance art * Aerial sil ...
program. Aircraft include both bird dog and waterbombers. The waterbombers are assisted by smaller aircraft known as "bird dogs" which are used to help spot wildfires as well as guide waterbombers during operations Current water bomber aircraft include eight amphibious Air Tractor 802 Fireboss and two specially converted
Lockheed L-188 Electra The Lockheed L-188 Electra is an American turboprop airliner built by Lockheed. First flown in 1957, it was the first large turboprop airliner built in the United States. Initial sales were good, but after two fatal crashes that led to expensiv ...
. Bird Dog aircraft include the Gulfstream/Rockwell 690, and the
Beech King Air The Beechcraft King Air is a line of American utility aircraft produced by Beechcraft. The King Air line comprises a number of twin-turboprop models that have been divided into two families. The Model 90 and 100 series developed in the 1960s ...
. Former aircraft used include the amphibious Canadair CL-215, the Douglas C-54/DC-4, and the Canso PBY-5.


Buffalo School of Aviation

Buffalo's aviation school offers an aircraft maintenance engineer program and several other courses. According to
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportati ...
listings, it has three aircraft, two are single-engine fixed wing, an
Aeronca Champion The Aeronca Model 7 Champion, commonly known as the "Champ", or "Airknocker",Bellanca Aircraft Corp, " d: "The Champ only $4,995"" ''Flying Annual & Pilots' Guide,'' 1971 ed., pp.36–37 iff-Davis NY is a single-engine light airplane with a ...
and a
Fleet Canuck The Fleet Model 80 Canuck is a Canadian light aircraft featuring two seats in side-by-side configuration. The Canuck was designed for the flight training, personal use and light commercial roles. A total of 225 Canucks were built by two manufactur ...
, the third a helicopter is a
Robinson R22 The Robinson R22 is a two-seat, two-bladed, single-engine light utility helicopter manufactured by Robinson Helicopter Company. It was designed in 1973 by Frank D. Robinson, and has been in production since 1979. Development The majority of fli ...
. The Buffalo website also lists a
Bell 206 The Bell 206 is a family of two-bladed, single- and twin-engined helicopters, manufactured by Bell Helicopter at its Mirabel, Quebec, plant. Originally developed as the Bell YOH-4 for the United States Army's Light Observation Helicopter progra ...
helicopter and a Beech 90 King Air.Buffalo School of Aviation


Destinations

The airline operated scheduled passenger services between Hay River and Yellowknife from August 1986 until November 2015. However, due to the suspension of the
Air Operator Certificate An air operator's certificate (AOC) is the approval granted by a civil aviation authority (CAA) to an aircraft operator to allow it to use aircraft for commercial purposes. This requires the operator to have personnel, assets, and system in plac ...
scheduled service was replaced in December 2015, when the company chartered aircraft to make the run. The charter service was cancelled 24 December. As of Spring 2019 Buffalo has not resumed passenger service and currently does not have trained flight attendants making passenger service unlikely in the near future. It carried over 186,000 passengers from 1986 to 2015. Scheduled cargo services transport supplies from Yellowknife to Deline,
Fort Good Hope Fort Good Hope (formerly ''Fort Hope'', ''Fort Charles'', also now known as the ''Charter Community of K'asho Got'ine''), is a charter community in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It is located on a peninsula between Jackf ...
,
Norman Wells Norman Wells ( Slavey language: ''Tłegǫ́hłı̨'' "where there is oil") is a town located in the Sahtu Region, Northwest Territories, Canada, settled about 140 km (87 mi) south of the Arctic Circle. The town, which hosts the Sahtu Regional o ...
, and
Tulita Tulita, which in Slavey means "where the rivers or waters meet," is a hamlet in the Sahtu Region of the Northwest Territories, Canada. It was formerly known as ''Fort Norman'', until 1 January 1996. It is located at the junction of the Great Bear ...
under contract with the
Government of the Northwest Territories The Politics of Northwest Territories involves not only the governance of the Northwest Territories but also the social, economic and political issues specific to the territory. This includes matters relating to local governance and governance by ...
. The service also includes an
airport shuttle An airport bus, or airport shuttle bus or airport shuttle is a bus used to transport people to and from, or within airports. These vehicles will usually be equipped with larger luggage space, and incorporate special branding. They are also comm ...
and a medical transfer bus. Buffalo also offers charters on their passenger aircraft across Canada and also offers cargo charters.


Fleet

As of August 2019, according to
Transport Canada Transport Canada (french: Transports Canada) is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of road, rail, marine and air transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportati ...
the fleet numbered 57, with two more aircraft registered to the Buffalo School of Aviation., In addition the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is the largest transportation agency of the U.S. government and regulates all aspects of civil aviation in the country as well as over surrounding international waters. Its powers include air traffic m ...
had one aircraft registered to Buffalo Airways USA.


KG330 (C-GWZS)

This Buffalo Airways DC-3 flew on
D-Day The Normandy landings were the landing operations and associated airborne operations on Tuesday, 6 June 1944 of the Allied invasion of Normandy in Operation Overlord during World War II. Codenamed Operation Neptune and often referred to as D ...
dropping paratroopers over
Normandy Normandy (; french: link=no, Normandie ; nrf, Normaundie, Nouormandie ; from Old French , plural of ''Normant'', originally from the word for "northman" in several Scandinavian languages) is a geographical and cultural region in Northwestern ...
as part of 512 Squadron. KG330 left
RAF Broadwell Royal Air Force Broadwell or more simply RAF Broadwell is a former Royal Air Force station located 2 miles north of Broadwell and 3 miles southeast of Burford, Oxfordshire, and within 2 miles of RAF Brize Norton. It opened on 15 November 19 ...
for
Operation Tonga Operation Tonga was the codename given to the airborne operation undertaken by the British 6th Airborne Division between 5 June and 7 June 1944 as a part of Operation Overlord and the D-Day landings during World War II. The paratroopers and ...
at precisely 23:15. It would have been part of 'C' flight as it crossed the
English Channel The English Channel, "The Sleeve"; nrf, la Maunche, "The Sleeve" (Cotentinais) or ( Jèrriais), (Guernésiais), "The Channel"; br, Mor Breizh, "Sea of Brittany"; cy, Môr Udd, "Lord's Sea"; kw, Mor Bretannek, "British Sea"; nl, Het Kana ...
towards its drop zone. The exact location for the drop was inland between
Cabourg Cabourg (; nrf, Cabouorg) is a commune in the Calvados department, region of Normandy, France. Cabourg is on the coast of the English Channel, at the mouth of the river Dives. The back country is a plain, favourable to the culture of cereal. Th ...
and
Ouistreham Ouistreham () is a commune in the Calvados department in Normandy region in northwestern France. Ouistreham is a small port with fishing boats, leisure craft and a ferry harbour. It serves as the port of the city of Caen. The town borders the ...
just north of the heavily defended city of
Caen Caen (, ; nrf, Kaem) is a commune in northwestern France. It is the prefecture of the department of Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inhabitants (), while its functional urban area has 470,000,9th Parachute Battalion as part of the
6th Airborne Division The 6th Airborne Division was an airborne infantry division of the British Army during the Second World War. Despite its name, the 6th was actually the second of two airborne divisions raised by the British Army during the war, the other being t ...
. The paratroopers it was dropping were sent to destroy a heavy
coastal battery Coastal artillery is the branch of the armed forces concerned with operating anti-ship artillery or fixed gun batteries in coastal fortifications. From the Middle Ages until World War II, coastal artillery and naval artillery in the form of c ...
and to position themselves on the canal between Caen and the port at Ouistreham. The
coastal defence Coastal management is defence against flooding and erosion, and techniques that stop erosion to claim lands. Protection against rising sea levels in the 21st century is crucial, as sea level rise accelerates due to climate change. Changes in s ...
had earlier been successfully bombed by 100
Avro Lancaster The Avro Lancaster is a British Second World War heavy bomber. It was designed and manufactured by Avro as a contemporary of the Handley Page Halifax, both bombers having been developed to the same specification, as well as the Short Stirlin ...
bombers of
RAF Bomber Command RAF Bomber Command controlled the Royal Air Force's bomber forces from 1936 to 1968. Along with the United States Army Air Forces, it played the central role in the strategic bombing of Germany in World War II. From 1942 onward, the British bo ...
. The visibility is said to have been good, no casualties were reported and the aircraft returned to base at 03:35.


Air Operator Certificate

On 30 November 2015, Transport Canada suspended Buffalo Airways' Air Operator Certificate, citing the airline's poor safety record. This prohibited Buffalo Airways from operating commercial air services, until it could prove that it is capable of meeting all safety regulations on a consistent basis. Service was maintained using chartered aircraft. On 12 January 2016, the licence was reinstated.


Accidents and incidents

Buffalo Airways has nine
accidents An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researche ...
listed by the
Aviation Safety Network The Flight Safety Foundation (FSF) is an independent, nonprofit, international organization concerning research, education, advocacy, and communications in the field of aviation safety. FSF brings together aviation professionals from all sectors ...
, none of which had any fatalities. In addition to the Aviation Safety Network, there are two more reported incidents that were investigated by the Transportation Board of Canada. The
Transportation Safety Board of Canada The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB, french: Bureau de la sécurité des transports du Canada, BST), officially the Canadian Transportation Accident Investigation and Safety Board (french: link=no, Bureau canadien d'enquête sur les ...
(TSB) is an independent agency that advances transportation safety by investigating occurrences in the marine, pipeline, rail, and air modes of transportation. *On 26 June 1994, BFL526, a Douglas C-47A (C-FROD), crashed on approach to
Fort Simpson Airport Fort Simpson Airport is located east southeast of Fort Simpson, Northwest Territories, Canada. Airlines and destinations Accidents and incidents *On 26 June 1994, Douglas C-47A C-FROD of Buffalo Airways crashed on approach due to fuel exh ...
, Northwest Territories due to
fuel exhaustion In an internal combustion engine, fuel starvation is the failure of the fuel system to supply sufficient fuel to allow the engine to run properly, for example due to blockage, vapor lock, contamination by water, malfunction of the fuel pump or in ...
. The aircraft was on a cargo flight from
Trout Lake Airport This is a list of airports in Washington (a U.S. state), grouped by type and sorted by location. It contains all public-use and military airports in the state. Some private-use and former airports may be included where notable, such as airports th ...
. There were two crew on board at the time; both were injured and the aircraft was a write-off. *On 24 July 2001, TANKER602, a Consolidated PBY-5A Canso C-FNJE caught a
wing tip A wing tip (or wingtip) is the part of the wing that is most distant from the fuselage of a fixed-wing aircraft. Because the wing tip shape influences the size and drag of the wingtip vortices, tip design has produced a diversity of sha ...
in Sitidgi Lake (about north of
Inuvik Inuvik (''place of man'') is the only town in the Inuvik Region, and the third largest community in Canada's Northwest Territories. Located in what is sometimes called the Beaufort Delta Region, it serves as its administrative and service cen ...
) while fire fighting and crashed into the lake. Another aircraft landed on the lake and picked up the two crew. The aircraft was pulled out of the water; the engines and other valuable parts removed. The hull, which was left at the lake, was later retrieved by Fairview Aircraft Restorations Society and taken to Fairview, Alberta, where it is undergoing restoration. *On 28 August 2002, BFL928, a Douglas C-54E (C-GQIC), landed short of the runway at Diavik Airport. The right wing came off the aircraft, which travelled down the runway. The aircraft caught fire and was a write-off. The two crew escaped with minor injuries. *On 1 August 2003, Douglas C-54G C-GBSK touched down short of the runway at the Ulu mine strip. The
landing gear Landing gear is the undercarriage of an aircraft or spacecraft that is used for takeoff or landing. For aircraft it is generally needed for both. It was also formerly called ''alighting gear'' by some manufacturers, such as the Glenn L. Martin ...
collapsed and the wings separated from the
fuselage The fuselage (; from the French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an engine as well, although in some amphibious aircraft t ...
. The wings then caught fire and the fuselage veered off the right side of the runway. The four crew were unhurt, but the aircraft was written off. *On 25 May 2004, BFL326, a loaded Curtiss C-46D (C-FAVO), was seriously damaged at Yellowknife Airport while taxiing for departure. The company reported the tail wheel went off the threshold of runway 09 (now runway 10) while turning to align with the active runway for take-off, sinking into a soft gravel area in a 90° position from centreline. The crew applied power to try and free the stuck aircraft which resulted in a sideways loading of the tailwheel bulkhead at station 720, causing structural failure at the tail wheel to fuselage attachment points as well as buckling of the main fuselage between station 615 and 633. The incident caused the runway to remain closed for about six hours until the aircraft could be repaired sufficiently to allow safe removal. Although the aircraft was substantially damaged, it was subsequently repaired and returned to active service using a section cut from a derelict airframe of Everts Air Cargo Express,
Fairbanks, Alaska Fairbanks is a home rule city and the borough seat of the Fairbanks North Star Borough in the U.S. state of Alaska. Fairbanks is the largest city in the Interior region of Alaska and the second largest in the state. The 2020 Census put the po ...
; 42-96578 - N4860V *On 5 January 2006, BFL1405, a Douglas C-54G (C-GXKN), had departed
Norman Wells Airport Norman Wells Airport is located adjacent to Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada. North-Wright Airways has its hangar and office adjacent to the airport. Airlines and destinations Cargo Accidents and incidents On 5 January 1972, Dou ...
when the number two engine caught fire and stopped. The crew attempted to put out the fire but were not successful. While
feathering Feathering is a technique used in computer graphics software to smooth or blur the edges of a feature. The term is inherited from a technique of fine retouching using fine feathers. Paintbrush feathering Feathering is most commonly used on a ...
the number two propeller, number one also feathered, leaving them with only two engines. They returned to Norman Wells and performed an emergency landing, but the aircraft left the runway and ploughed through the snow. The four crew were unhurt, but the aircraft was written off and the nose was later used to repair another C-54. The fire was caused by a fuel leak. *On 9 April 2006, C-FTXB, a CL-215 bomber Buffalo sold to the Turkish government belly landed on the runway at
İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport İzmir Adnan Menderes Airport ( tr, İzmir Adnan Menderes Havalimanı) is an international airport serving İzmir and most of the surrounding province in Turkey. It is named after former Turkish prime minister Adnan Menderes. Overview İzmir' ...
after the Turkish crew failed to deploy the landing gear causing damage to the hull. Buffalo had to have new drop doors flown in to replace the ones the Turks damaged in the crash. *On 29 December 2006, BFL129, a Douglas C-54A (C-GPSH), suffered a nose gear collapse following a runway excursion while landing on an ice strip at Carat Lake near
Jericho Diamond Mine The Jericho Diamond Mine is a dormant diamond Mining, mine located in Canada's Nunavut territory. Jericho is Nunavut’s first and only diamond mine. It is located northeast of Yellowknife, Northwest Territories and is accessible by air all year ...
. The aircraft's nose dropped over an embankment at the end of the runway, damaging the nose section. The aircraft was transporting of diesel in fuel cells, and some of these broke loose, spilling some of the fuel. The nose section, which could not be salvaged, was repaired in July 2007 with the nose section from C-54 C-GXKN. *On 5 March 2012, BFL1105, a Lockheed L-188A Electra (C-FBAQ), landed at the Yellowknife Airport but was unable to extend the right main landing gear. The aircraft landed on the left and nose gear and caused substantial damage to the number three and four propellers and wing. The five occupants on board were uninjured. *On 9 November 2012, BFL509, a Curtiss C-46A (C-GTXW), landed at Yellowknife Airport and when it rolled to the runway 16/34 intersection, the left main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft then came to rest on the left wing and suffered substantial damage. The aircraft was repaired and returned to service. The cause of the accident was that a hammer, lodged between the inboard drag strut and sliding member, caused the landing gear to collapse. *On 19 August 2013, BFL168, a Douglas DC-3C (C-GWIR), crashed on return to Yellowknife Airport, Northwest Territories after suffering an engine fire. The aircraft was on a passenger flight from Yellowknife Airport to Hay River Airport. There were 24 people on board the aircraft, of whom three were crew. There were no fatalities, but the aircraft was written off. The subsequent investigation determined the cause to be an engine cylinder fatigue crack, propeller feathering pump failure, and overloading of the aircraft. *On 25 September 2015, BFL525, a Curtiss C-46A (C-GTXW), diverted to Deline Airport following engine problems, where it made an emergency
gear-up landing A belly landing or gear-up landing occurs when an aircraft lands without its landing gear fully extended and uses its underside, or belly, as its primary landing device. Normally the term ''gear-up landing'' refers to incidents in which the pilot ...
. Although the aircraft was written off, the four crew were not injured. An initial investigation by Buffalo Airways revealed that the oil scavenge pump had failed on the number two engine. *On 3 May 2019, BFL169, a Douglas DC-3 (C-GJKM) suffered an engine failure and force-landed outside Hay River. The aircraft left Hay River shortly before 8:00 on Friday before experiencing an engine failure southeast of the airfield, the Transportation Safety Board of Canada said. Two crew were on board, the safety board said. Both were uninjured. The airframe remains at Hay River without its wings and tail, awaiting a final decision from Buffalo Airways as to whether to repair it.


See also

*
Era Alaska Northern Pacific Airways, Inc., d.b.a. Ravn Alaska, is an Alaskan airline that specializes in serving the small communities in the US state of Alaska. The airline is headquartered in Anchorage, which is also home to its primary hub, Ted Stev ...
- another airline with a reality TV show based on it *
Canadian North Bradley Air Services, operating as Canadian North, is a wholly Inuit-owned airline headquartered in Kanata, Ontario, Canada. It operates scheduled passenger services to communities in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut and the Nunavik region o ...
- operating the Yellowknife - Hay River service


References


External links


Buffalo Airways
Buffalo Airways Website
BuffaloAirWear.comIce Pilots NWT
History Television TV Series Website

{{Authority control Air Transport Association of Canada Airlines established in 1970 Regional airlines of the Northwest Territories Former seaplane operators