Would anyone recall or know how to find info about this? Not sure if it was a private plane or commercial flight.
Any help or suggestions appreciated. Thanks

Hi Murray. Do you have any names of person/s who may have been on the plane. Were there casualties? If so- a search of the Provincial Archive Vital Events Index : Marriage 1859 - 1929 - Birth: 1872 - 1903 - Death: 1872 - 1984.
http://search.bcarchives.gov.bc.ca/sn-39529E0/gbsearch/Birth...
May be of some help - in finding a date of death.
There are Volunteers at the Random Acts of Genealogical Kindness British Columbia.
http://www.raogk.org/bcolumbia.htm
No Fee - although some may charge to cover their cost of copies [.50 cents Cndn or under -per page ,depending on copy machine costs] and/or postage.
The following may be able to assist -
http://www.island.net/~nfhs/
They may at least know of the accident - and may be able to give you a date and/or location.
Cheers, Stella

I made the enquiry for a friend who said her mother died in such a plane crash. I will get more specific info from her as to names, dates, private flight etc, and try again.
Thanks for your interest nad assistance.

Hi Murray...

The only big landmark I can think of is "Mount Benson" that stands high above Nanaimo. I was thinking any plane that would have crashed would have happened on the the side of this mountain. So I typed this mountain's name in a BC Archive's search and this was what I found. I saw more names there, and can dig them up if this was the wrong date. Of course there will have been more plane crashes at other places around Nanaimo. Hope this information is helpful. If not I can dig some more.

Kind regards; Rocky Sampson

October 17, 1951, Mount Benson, Nanaimo, BC:

1 Name:
Thomas Bone
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011653 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
0 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
2 Name:
Patrick Arthur Brisson
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010573 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
44 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
===================
3 Name:
Michael Henry Cairney
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010197 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
32 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
4 Name:
James Angus Campbell
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010801 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
40 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
===================
5 Name:
Harry Thomas Comerford
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010582 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
32 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
6 Name:
Philibert J P Daigneault
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010977 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
30 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
7 Name:
Cyril Depauw
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010209 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
53 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
8 Name:
Jack Bernard Ferguson
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010215 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
30 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
9 Name:
Gordon Graham
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010220 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
29 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
10 Name:
Denis Edward Guillemin
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-009928 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
41 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13209 (GSU # 2032701)
=====================
11 Name:
Jiginder Singh Johl
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011252 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
23 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
12 Name:
Kenneth Edwin Krug
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011090 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
39 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
13 Name:
Douglas Duncan Macqueen
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-009937 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
33 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13209 (GSU # 2032701)
=====================
14 Name:
James Walter Mcdowell
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011830 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
19 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
15 Name:
Robert Webster Mcfadyen
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010877 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
23 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
16 Name:
Joseph Eric Melanson
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010818 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
36 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
17 Name:
Joseph Charles Morin
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010244 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
37 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
18 Name:
Carl Oscar Nedel
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010246 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
21 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
====================
19 Name:
William Edward B Perry
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011275 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
25 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=======================
20 Name:
John Redding
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010627 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
42 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
21 Name:
John Allan Rowand
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010633 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
27 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
22 Name:
Johl Jiginder Singh
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011252 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
23 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=======================
23 Name:
John David Watson
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-010271 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
37 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)
=====================
24 Name:
Raymond Edward Williams
Place
Mount Benson Reg. Number:
1951-09-011349 Digital Image
On-Line
Date:
1951 10 17 (Yr/Mo/Day)
Age:
31 Event:
Death Microfilm #:
B13210 (GSU # 2032702)

This flight (mentioned above) was:

Queen Charlotte Air Catalina Crashes, 17 October, into Mt. Benson, near Nanaimo BC.

I don't know for sure but it looks like this was a flight with mostly men on board... hope it helps. If not I can ask my dad as he knows of a plane crash at Cameron Lake, a few minutes north of Nanaimo (by air). The date in the early 1970's rings a bell.

Kind regards; Rocky Sampson

Hi Rocky Thanks for the info but 1951 is too long ago
If you could find any info on the 1971 crash at Cameron Lake I beleive that would be more the timing we are looking for.
Thanks again, Murray

Hi again Murray...

By chance; I drove my parents past Cameron Lake yesterday. It was good to hear their knowledge and history. It was a good day to drive past and bring up memories as the winds were high and gusting and the rain blew down in torrents; the lake tossed and churned. Dad always tells of the crash at this lake when we go by so it was a good work out for his memory. The time frame seems to fit with your query, but one would have to dig in the Nanaimo Museum and Port Alberni Museums to find more... news papers and all (exact year). Dad told me that the plane wreck in this case at Cameron lake was found many years after the crash. The original crash happened in the early 70's according to him. Cameron Lake is very deep, the plane was not found even though it is a small lake compared to many on the island. He did recall one surname of a lady who was on the plane so if you could help me by telling me a bit more... I hope I can help you. The irony of it all; this lady had a Lasqueti Island connection so this crash related to some islanders in a direct way. I searched the BC Archives for her surname but came up with nothing as I assume (bad thing to assume) her body was not recovered til the plane was recovered ( the pilot and a child was also on flight).

Another strange thing about this plane crash was; my dad reported it the moment it happened! We lived on Lasqueti Island at the time and our waterfront home faced over a bay that caught the echo or sound waves of the crash. Dad was sitting in the front room and thought the crash was on our bay. It was so loud, he could hear the plane, then the crash on water. He got up and looked around but all was silent on our bay. He phoned the crash in to the authorities but they found nothing. It was not until several years later that he found out the crash was on Vancouver Island and at Cameron Lake. This was when the wreck was finally discoverd. To this day he can't figure out how the sound travelled so far a distance. It may have been the cloud cover, sound over ocean and the valley Cameron Lake echo's sound from... it points out towards Lasqueti Island.

So I hope to be able to help you in the future here. Please contact me again if you get more information etc.

PS: I asked my parents if they recalled any other plane crashes from that era. They did'nt know any others but there must have beem some. They did recall the 1951 plane crash on Mount Benson though. They recalled how the police and authorities had to block off curious onlookers from acess to the site. They recalled it was hard terrain in those days to get through to the crash site too. The Nanaimo Museum and (possibly the Port Alberni Museum) will have more records, I am sure;

http://nanaimo.museum.bc.ca/bastionpage.htm
Nanaimo Museum

http://www.alberniheritage.com/museum.shtml
Alberni Valley Museum

Kind regards; Rocky

Thank you for your interest and info provided.
With further info I have determined that the event in question was a commercial flight from Vancouver ( probably ) on September 9, 1974. The flight apparently took off and then attempted to returnAre there due to extreme bad weather ( fog I believe ) and in so doing hit a mountain, crashed and burned.
The info we are now hoping to obtain is the exact location of the crash as there are living relatives of crash victims who would perhaps wish to visit the crash site.
Are there any internet sites that might have this type of information?
Thanks again to all those who replied and tried to assist.

From the Nanaimo Daily Press which carried news stories on Sept 10, 1974 (page 1) and Sept 11, 1974 (p 11)
...a plane crashed in rugged terrain 30 miles southwest of Nanaimo
..plane flew into a box canyon
...Columbia Cell Road located adjacent to the crash site (part of Columbia Cellulose logging camp)
...plane crashed in a canyon at the headwaters of the Nitinat River, near the base of 4,892 Mount Hooper
...plane was on its regularly scheduled 125 mile flight to Vancouver from Tofino
...11 persons died (named in Sept 11 news story
...aircraft was attempting to turn out of the canyon when a wing hit a tree or the canyon wall

If you post your mailing address, I'll send you the two pages from the Nanaimo newspaper.

Hello Rocky,

I was recently at a family funeral and noticed that my grandfather was not buried in the family plot. After doing some investigating I found that he was in this plane crash. Kenneth Krug. Do you know if any bodied were recovered? I would like to visit his resting place.
Thank you in advance,
Jacquie