Parked outside the Buffalo Airways hangar at Yellowknife Airport. Written off the following year, on 19 August 2013, making an emergency landing off Yellowknife's main runway, after a go around following an engine fire on takeoff, overweight and with a prop which would not feather properly.

Parked on the ramp in front of the Buffalo Airways hangar awaiting its next flight. Only a few weeks later, this aircraft was written off beyond repair making an emergency landing off Yellowknife's main runway, after a go around following an engine fire and with a prop which would not properly feather.

Photo: Karl Krämer Built for the USAAF as 42-23509 13 April 1943. OK-VAV; 23509; F-WSGY; N18262; C-GWIR.

Wartime service with USAAF as 42-23509. Joined the Czechoslovak Government in 1946. Transferred from the Czechoslovakian Air Force to France's Armée de l'Air in 1960 as 23509. Bought in 1972 by Rousseau Aviation and registered F-WSGY. Sold in the US in 1974. Seen here as N18262 in transit through Prestwick to its new owners, the Aircraft Surplus Company of Tucson, AZ. Sold again in 1975, to Canada as C-GWIR. Moved from Northwest Territorial Airways to Buffalo Airways in 1994. Suffered an engine fire and crashlanded at Yellowknife, NWT in Aug 2013. Still there by 2016, reportedly awaiting repairs.

Note the flat tyre. The previous evening I had flown into YHY (from Yellowknife) on this a/c. I watched it depart YHY a little later and noticed smoke coming from the port engine. The aircraft made a circuit and landed, bursting its starboard tyre on landing. It was still awaiting attention when I took this photo the next morning. This same aircraft suffered an accident after take off from Yellowknife 19 Aug 2013. This time it was the starboard engine just as the aircraft rotated. A combination of being overweight and the prop not fully feathering resulted in an off airport emergency landing.

Delivered to the USAAF as 42-23509 in 1943. To OK-VAV in 1946, Czech Air Force D-05 in 1950, French Air Force 23509 in 1960, N18262 in 1974 and C-GWIR in 1975. Damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Yellowknife in 2013.

In Buffalo Airways colours with no titles. Delivered to the USAAF as 42-23509 in 1943. To OK-VAV in 1946, Czech Air Force D-05 in 1950, French Air Force 23509 in 1960, N18262 in 1974 and C-GWIR in 1975. Damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Yellowknife in 2013.

Initially imported for Aero Trades (Western) here at Winnipeg. Although still registered to Buffalo Airways in 2020, this aircraft was the one involved in the infamous crash landing at Hay River/NT on 19 August 2013 that resulted in Buffalo loosing their passenger operating certificate. Investigation revealed that aircraft loading was done on the "come-one-come-all basis" with little consideration of weight. This system worked until an engine caught fire after take-off and the aircraft was too heavy to stay airborne.

On August 19, 2013, WIR suffered a complex engine failure during take-off while also being unintentionally overloaded. Not even able to reach 200ft AGL, she came to a sliding stop short of a Yellowknife runway, luckily without injury to persons. Part of the resulting damage can be seen on the nose. Her career started as USAAF 42-23509 in 1943, then Czechoslovak government as OK-VAV and French air force, including combat duty again, as 23509. Went civil as F-WSGY and eventually, in 1975, became C-GWIR. Smoke jumper platform as well as combined passenger-freighter aircraft with Buffalo.

Aircraft was severely damaged during an emergency landing at Yellowknife Airport on August 19, 2013 after the #2 engine failed on takeoff.

We rode out to Ft. Simpson from Yellowknife on this DC-3 on a mail, cargo and passenger flight.