Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 3505
1951 missing passenger plane flight
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Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 3505 was a scheduled flight operated by Canadian Pacific Air Lines for the United Nations from Vancouver, Canada, to Tokyo, Japan.[1] On 21 July 1951, the Douglas C-54 Skymaster, registered CF-CPC, disappeared with 31 passengers and six crew onboard.[1][2] The incident marked the first aircraft loss during the Korean Airlift.[3]
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- probably Alaska, U.S.
A Douglas DC-4 similar to the missing aircraft | |
| Missing Aircraft | |
|---|---|
| Date | July 21, 1951 |
| Summary | Disappeared, possibly due to icing conditions |
| Site |
|
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas C-54A/R5D-1 Skymaster |
| Operator | Canadian Pacific Air Lines on behalf of the United Nations |
| Registration | CF-CPC |
| Flight origin | Vancouver International Airport, British Columbia, Canada |
| Stopover | Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, U.S. |
| Destination | Haneda Army Air Base, Tokyo, Japan |
| Passengers | 31 |
| Crew | 6 |
| Fatalities | 37 |
| Survivors | 0 |
Accident
At 18:35, the aircraft departed Vancouver International Airport, Canada on a scheduled flight to Tokyo; it was due to stop over at Anchorage Airport in Alaska.[2] The flight was on schedule and reported at the Cape Spencer intersection in British Columbia 90 minutes out from Anchorage; it gave an estimate of 24:00 for Yakutat in Alaska.[1][2] The weather in the area was heavy rain and icing conditions with a visibility of 500 feet (150 m).[2] Nothing further was heard from the aircraft, and at 00:44 an emergency warning was issued when the aircraft was overdue to report.[1] The United States Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force carried out an extensive search but failed to find any trace of the aircraft or its 37 occupants.[1] The search was finally called off on 31 October 1951.[1]
Aircraft
The aircraft had been built in 1944 for the United States Army Air Forces as a Douglas C-54A Skymaster but was diverted to the United States Navy on delivery in June 1944, with the designation R5D-1.[4] In 1946, it was converted to a civil Douglas DC-4 standard for Pan American Airlines as Clipper Winged Racer.[4] It was sold to Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1950.[4]
Passengers and crew
All six crew members were Canadian. The 31 passengers included two sailors of the Royal Canadian Navy, 26 members of the United States military and 3 civilian US citizens.
Aftermath
None of the passengers aboard the aircraft were ever found. The aircraft was presumed destroyed beyond repair.[1]
Probable cause
In 1974, the Civil Aviation Authority (United Kingdom) reported: "As no traces of the aircraft or its occupants has been found to date the cause of the disappearance has not been determined."[1]