Investigation Summary
On the night of May 15, 1956, two CF-100s from 445 Air Squadron were scrambled from RCAF Station Uplands to intercept an unidentified aircraft approaching Montreal. The 'intruder' was quickly identified as a friendly RCAF North Star transport flying from Resolute Bay. While one interceptor returned to base immediately, aircraft 18367 remained at altitude to reduce its landing weight. At approximately 10:37 p.m., the jet vanished from radar, plunging from 33,000 feet in less than a minute. Eyewitnesses described the aircraft in a tight, vertical spinning dive with its wing lights flashing. The jet struck the chapel of the Villa St-Louis, a rest home for the Grey Nuns of the Cross, at a speed estimated near 700 mph. The explosion was heard 15 miles away and the ensuing fire was so intense that the building's roof collapsed within five minutes. Among the 13 ground victims were 11 nuns, a civilian servant, and the convent's chaplain.
Final Conclusions
The official cause of the crash was never determined. Investigators considered the possibility of a catastrophic mechanical failure or crew incapacitation. A widely cited theory suggests an oxygen system failure may have caused the pilot and navigator to lose consciousness, leading to the uncontrolled high-speed descent.
Photographic Evidence (1)
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Oxygen System
Investigators suspected a failure in the crew's oxygen supply, which would have caused rapid hypoxia and incapacitation at the aircraft's operating altitude of 33,000 feet.
Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck
A twin-engine, all-weather interceptor and the first Canadian-designed jet fighter to enter mass production.
Interesting Facts
- 01The crash killed 11 members of the Grey Nuns, a civilian servant, and a retired naval padre acting as chaplain.
- 02The aircraft was fully armed with rockets and machine guns at the time of the crash.
- 03The impact speed was estimated at approximately 680 to 700 mph.
- 04A group of 16 student nurses narrowly avoided the disaster because they delayed their arrival to attend a play in Ottawa.
- 05The Villa St-Louis was a 70-room rest and convalescent home built only two years prior for $1 million.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Memorial Dedication
Source ↗A 20-foot cross memorial adorned with a model CF-101 Voodoo aircraft and 15 stones from the rubble was erected in 2009 to commemorate the victims. Note: The model is a Voodoo, a different type than the Canuck involved in the crash.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the entered by an editor.