On April 19, 1944 several planes left on a training mission from Victoria to fly to the north end of Vancouver Island and back. One plane was concerned about fuel levels and decided to land at Port Hardy, despite the terrible weather.
The first attempted landing failed and up it went again to loop around. On the second attempt, control was lost and the plane crashed into the forest. Of the three aboard, the pilot and one other were killed instantly. The third miraculously survived and rescuers were able to bushwhack for the rescue.
In 2014 a memorial service was held at the crash site. Relatives and members of the community were helicoptered into site. A memorial was erected on site.
Nowadays with about an hour of hiking, it is possible to hike from the Port Hardy ferry terminal to the crash site. The journey involves some rope maneuvering, some mud, and usually rain but it 100% worth the effort.
