A photo of an airbourne Second World War Fleet Finch used in military training flights during the war, one of which overturned on landing at Brandon’s Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum on Aug. 16. Photo: supplied by CATPM

K-J Millar
Shilo Stag Media

A Historic Second World War training aircraft overturned on landing at the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum (CATPM) on Aug. 16, with Brandon emergency services attending.

Zoe McQuinn, director general of the CATPM, spoke with Shilo Stag News, giving assurance that there were no injuries in what some would call an airplane crash, but what Transport Canada Civil Aviation refers to as an “incident.” The pilot and one passenger walked away unscathed, she said.

The two-seater World War Two Fleet Finch tandem-training biplane aircraft sustained what appears to be primarily cosmetic damage, McQuinn stated, adding this is the first time, to her knowledge, that such a situation has occurred at the museum involving one of its planes.

“We are currently reviewing the incident with our Flying Team, so I don’t have a repair estimate to provide at this time, but our initial assessment suggests the damage is relatively minor.

The Fleet Finch was produced for several years beginning in 1930 to serve as an elementary trainer in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. More than 445 were produced, with 430 of them as trainers during the war. One of them is housed at the Brandon CATPM as part of Manitoba’s significant wartime aviation story.

McQuinn noted that Transport Canada Civil Aviation has been notified and is continuing with their procedures. Weather and climate conditions were not a factor in the occurrence.

While it was an urgent situation, McQuinn is pleased that emergency procedures in place and support from first responders lessened its severity, as everything was handled appropriately and with haste.

“I also want to recognize the professionalism of our Museum volunteers, the Brandon Municipal Airport team, and the police, fire and ambulance personnel who responded. Everyone followed the procedures in place, and the situation was handled very well.”
There is no impact on Museum operations, and repairs will most likely be done in-house by the museum technicians.

“The aircraft has since been returned upright, moved back into the hangar, and is already back on display. We are both a working hangar and a Museum, so the visitors can interact with all our daily activities.”

“Our work continues, and the public is always welcome to visit the Museum, meet our team, and learn about these aircraft and the people who flew them as we continue our work to preserve and share their stories, McQuinn told Shilo Stag News.