Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3. Construction #: 3669.
Cisco Aircraft Inc, Lancaster, CA #– N8398H 1963
Aerial Applicators, Salt Lake City, UT, #D20 N8398H 1964-1969.
Cisco TBM N8398H in June 1963, Mojave Airport (MHV), CA. [J. Davis]
Aerial Applicators #D20 at Salt Lake City, UT, 5 August 1966. [The National Archive of Transport Travel and Trade]
N8398H / D20 Grumman TBM-3E Avenger (3669) ex BuAer: 53607 of Aerial Applicators. Became CF-ZYC now in Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, Halifax, Nova Scotia. [Neil Aird © 1966]
Hicks & Lawrence Ltd., St. Thomas, ON
#20 CF-ZYC 1971-1975
Aerial spray program – NB
1975 – Pilot Koerfgen.
Crashed 20 May 1975 (p.m.). H&L #20 FZYC piloted by Hans Koerfgen and contracted from Hicks and Lawrence Ltd. developed engine trouble while on on a test flight and crashed in a large swampy area approximately ¾ mile north of Juniper Airstrip. The aircraft a was complete write-off and the wreck was abandoned; the pilot was not hurt. This occurred on the same day as the crash of FBEF. FZYC had been experiencing some spray system problems, and with a partial load of water was doing a systems check prior to the evening spray session. The aircraft spent 21.5 years in the swamp being subject to continuous vandalism until it was salvaged.
FZYC accident report summary received by Fredericton Airport control tower. (Courtesy Barrie MacLeod)
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum Newsletters
All newsletter references to the Avenger Project in the ACAM newsletters describing the recovery of CF-ZYC and its restoration to a copy of C-GFPL, Forest Protection Limited’s TBM Avenger #24, were compiled and the file presented to ACAM. ACAM is located in Enfield, on Highway 102 opposite the Halifax Stanfield International Airport.
Lower portion of page 5, May/June 2002 (story continued below).
Note: the lower image above refers to CF-BEF, not CF-BEM.
Photo courtesy Don Henry.
Crash images posted by Jamie Dyer
Crash and recovery images have been posted to The Sevogle Times site by J. Dyer. Two are included below.
Wreck of #20 near the Juniper airstrip. [J. Dyer]
Recovering the airframe. [J. Dyer]
Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum, ENFIELD, NS
On site at FPL, Fredericton, NB
1997 – The aircraft was recovered from the crash site in 1997. 1997-2001 – Under restoration to water bomber configuration, Fredericton, NB, 1997-2001. Volunteers included Don Henry, who has contributed a great deal to this history of Avengers. Parts from FBEF were used in the ACAM restoration. The right wing incorporated parts from 4 aircraft, including the right wing of #17 GFPN and the right wingtip from #14 GLEK. 2005 – FZYC is shipped to ACAM in Bedford, NS.
The Atlantic Canada Aviation Museum is located across highway 102 from Halifax Airport, not in Bedford. Bedford is our mailing address.