Warbird Registry Info
Aerial Visuals
Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3. Construction number 3800.
Royal Canadian Navy. Avenger AS 3. BOC: Aug. 19, 1952. SOC: July 5, 1960. Military Service in Canada: Squadrons VS 880 and VU 32, Shearwater, NS.
Skyway Air Services, Langley, BC
#609 CF-KCL 1961-1969
1963 – In early July, Harold Hawes conducted fire bombing in Prince George, BC, using both KCL and MUD. [Hazel Clare, pers. comm.]
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1961 – Tallied by Larry Milberry May 22, 1961, in Cartierville, Quebec, while en route to NB. 1962-1965 – No records, but may have flown in NB. 1966 – Pilot Langeman.
Conair Aviation Ltd., Abbotsford, BC
#609 CF-KCL 1969-1977
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1969 – Pilot Archer. 1970 – Pilot Smeed. 1971 – Pilot Tweed. 1972 – Pilot Smith. 1973 – Pilot Yuill. 1974 – Pilot Brown. 1975 – Pilots Smith and Wood. 1976 – Pilot Hutcheson. 1977 – Pilot Atkins. FKCL was one of 8 TBMs sold to Forest Protection Limited in August 1977.
Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, NB #609 / #9 CF-KCL 1977-1978
1977 – FPL purchased FKCL from Conair Limited in August 1977.
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1978 – Pilot Atkins. Repainted and renumbered to fleet standard after 4 July, 1978.
Crashed 29 May 1978. TBM #609 FKCL owned by FPL and piloted by Ken Atkins ditched in Oromocto Lake after flying out of Blissville. While executing a turn at the end of a spray line, the pilot inadvertently dipped his left wing tip into the lake and lost control. The pilot was unhurt and was later picked up by the rescue unit after swimming to shore (20 yards) and flown to Blissville airstrip. The aircraft was recovered by military personnel from CFB Gagetown and towed to shore on a barge. After recovery from the lake, FKCL was loaned to Air Cadet Squadron in Nackawic in 1978 for an outdoor display.
Eyewitness Account by Don Henry
Post-spray History
Allan Rubin/International Vintage Aircraft, Hamilton, Ontario, 1986-1993. Arrived disassembled, Markham, Ontario, 1986. Under restoration to fly, Markham, Ontario, 1992-1993.
Jack Kosko, 1999. Restoration to airworthy, MD. Donated to Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading, PA, 1999-2012. Registered as N109K.
See also: Air Classics, Aug 2003, by Ruby Kosko and Richard D. Santora.
I crated this plane for transport in 1986 it was in Malawian nb
Former Forrest Protection TBM-3, CF-KCL was restored to airworthy condition and is on display at the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in Reading Pennsylvania, Not the Glenn L. Martin Museum as is listed elsewhere on this site. The 7 year restoration was undertaken by Jack Kosko, a former WWII TBM radio operator, and a team of several dozen volunteers. Mr Kosko purchased the TBM which was located in Maine after being sold by Forrest Protection. It was subsequently donated to the Mid Atlantic Air Museum in 2002 and registered as N109K.
I saw this TBM, in Duxford,( UK) painted up as George Bush’s Avenger.
My Dad Ken Atkins Ditched it, into Oromucto lake.
He tells the story pretty much just as it is recounted here.