The Fairchild was widely used for bush flying in the 1930s. The particular aircraft on display at the Museum was operated by Canadian Airways and later by CP Air.

The particular aircraft crashed in the Yukon Territory in August 1943 and the wreckage remained there until it was retrieved in 1973. In 1973, it was flown to Winnipeg in a Canadian Forces Hercules where it would begin its long road to restoration.

Restoration took many years and was completed in 1991 - entirely by Western Canada Aviation Museum volunteers. In December of that year, a ceremony was held to celebrate the restoration of this aircraft. It was attended by Stan Emery, the pilot who flew it on its last flight.

The September 1943 accident report stated the CF-AKT's engine stopped. The aircraft was on floats and 40 miles from Watson Lake. Stan Emery couldn't find a body of water nearby, so he landed in the bush. Just before touchdown, the starboard float hit a tree and flipped the aircraft on to its back. Miraculously, not even a pane of glass was broken, and Stan walked away uninjured. Other than badly swollen feet caused by his long walk back to Watson Lake, he was in good condition. The Canadian Airways Station Manager at Watson Lake was upset at losing an aircraft and grounded Stan. The two parted ways after a heated discussion two weeks later.

Stan Emery later joined Canadian Pacific Airlines and retired as a DC-8 Captain. The Station Manager, Stan Wagner, went on to become the General Manager of TransAir Ltd. - a position from which he retired. In 1991, when the aircraft was re-dedicated to the Museum, both the pilot and the Station Manager were in attendance, meeting once again after 48 years.

Specifications

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