Canadian Pacific Flight 322

Canadian Pacific Flight 322

An aerial view of the crash site
Accident
Date	February 7, 1968
Summary	Runway excursion
Site	Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Total fatalities	2
Total injuries	17
Total survivors	60
Aircraft
N791SA, the aircraft involved in the accident
Aircraft type	Boeing 707
Aircraft name	Empress of Sydney
Operator	Canadian Pacific Airlines
IATA flight No.	CP332
ICAO flight No.	CPC332
Call sign	EMPRESS 332
Registration	N791SA
Flight origin	Honolulu International Airport, Honolulu, Hawaii, United States
Destination	Vancouver International Airport, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Occupants	61
Passengers	52
Crew	9
Fatalities	1
Injuries	17
Survivors	60
Ground casualties
Ground fatalities	1

On February 7, 1968, a Boeing 707 operating as Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 322 suffered a runway excursion and crashed into multiple parked aircraft, vehicles and two buildings while landing at Vancouver International Airport in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, killing a crew member and one person on the ground.

Background

Aircraft

The aircraft involved in the accident was N791SA, a Boeing 707-138B operated by Canadian Pacific Airlines and powered by two Pratt & Whitney JT3D turbojet engines. It was manufactured in April 1959 for Australian airline Qantas under the registration VH-EBC and name City of Melbourne . The aircraft was later renamed as City of Canberra . It was leased to Canadian Pacific in October 1967 and finally named Empress of Sydney . ^{[1] [2]}

Passengers and crew

There were 52 passengers and nine crew members on board the flight. The crew consisted of a pilot, a co-pilot, a navigator, a flight engineer and five flight attendants. ^[3]

Accident

The aircraft departed Vancouver International Airport at 6:12 on February 6. The approach to Vancouver was completed in poor visibility due to foggy conditions. Following a wrong approach configuration, the aircraft landed 1,000 feet past the runway threshold and to the right of the centerline. After touchdown, the captain decided to make a go-around when they lost control. On the second touchdown, the starboard tires blew, causing the aircraft to slew right, veer off Runway 08, go through the tarmac and collide with and destroy four parked aircraft, several vehicles, a fence and two buildings. ^[3] A fuel tank ruptured, causing a fire that killed one person and burned several cars parked nearby. ^[4] 33-year-old flight attendant Martinus Verhoef and 44-year-old airport employee Elmer Nedcalf who was in the terminal building that was struck were killed, while 17 others were injured and 43 escaped unharmed. ^{[5] [6] [7]} The aircraft was destroyed and written off. ^[2]

Investigation

The probable cause was failure to evaluate known terminal weather information and to discontinue the attempt to land. ^[2]

Aftermath

The wreckage of the aircraft was moved to an empty ramp behind Canadian Pacific's hangar and sat there for several months before eventually being placed onto a barge and taken to a waterside where the useful parts were salvaged. ^[6]

References

1. "VH-EBC. Boeing 707-138. c/n 17698-44". AussieAirliners. Retrieved February 9, 2026.
2. "Runway excursion Accident Boeing 707-138B N791SA, 7 February 2026". Aviation Safety Network . Retrieved February 9, 2026.
3. "Canadian Department of Transport - Crash Report on N791SA". AussieAirliners. Retrieved February 10, 2026.
4. "Vancouver, BC Plane Crashes On Landing, Feb 1968". GenDisasters. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
5. Campbell, Alan. "Photos: Flashback to a dark day for aviation in Richmond". Richmond News. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
6. "The Fate of Canadian Pacific Airlines' Boeing 707 by Henry Tenby". Henry Tenby. February 7, 1968. Retrieved February 11, 2026.
7. "Crash of a Boeing 707-138B in Vancouver: 2 killed". Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Retrieved February 11, 2026.