For one of our final adventures we decided to hike to the wreckage of Dakota 576 which crashed in 1944.
We drove about 15 minutes to the end of highway 19 - close to the ferry terminal that leads off to Prince Rupert. From there it's a moderate 30 minute hike up a road and then rooty up hill trail to the crash site.
The plane and its three crew were on a training flight in poor weather conditions and missed the airport. Soon after they ran out of fuel and crashed into the side of the hill outside of Port Hardy.
When arriving at places like this, I am always struck by the emotional impact. First, the plane is huge and remarkably well preserved - it immediately so feels out of place. It’s hard to describe having conflicting feelings of instant sadness and wow “this is cool” at the same time.
As we approached we saw a small cenotaph that identifies the Airmen and some details about the incident. It’s shiny stainless steel and sits in stark contrast with the weathered industrial aluminum shell of the fuselage.
Learning the names of 2 service men who died made me reflect on the tens of thousands of people who served during the wars and other conflicts. Many, like these two, never made it to battle, but took risks so great that it’s hard to even imagine.
We explored the wreckage, identifying the various wings, engine parts and tail fins. Each step a moment in time. Having been at another crash site few years ago, it was had not to compare. We were happy that this one has not been plundered even though there are many small pieces that could easily have been carried out.
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| A view from the side over the wing |
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| From the back (tail wing missing) |
Although the destination ended with some somber thoughts, I was glad to have experienced them and reminded myself of why we should all be proud to be Canadians.
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| This is what the Dakota 576 would have looked liked in 1944. |