Early History
United States Navy. TBM-3E Avenger. Construction number 3654. Delivered as Bu. 53592, 1960.
Hemet Valley Flying Service, Hemet CA
#E68 N5168V 1963-1973
Aerial Spray Program – NB, Quebec
1972 – Flew in NB and Quebec. Pilot Woodmansee.
Grass fire near Keystone FFS 1972 or 1973. [Posted by Gene Roberts to TBM’s – Mil & Civil on 8 Oct 2015.]
#E68 at Hemet, CA, February 1972 [Jay Sherlock, Scalefirebombers].
Hillcrest Aircraft, Lewiston, ID
#68 N5168V 1973-1976
1976 – Hillcrest Aircraft sold N5168V to FPL in 1976.
Forest Protection Limited, Fredericton, NB
#68 / #15 C-GFPQ 1976-1977
Aerial Spray Program – NB
1976 – FPL purchased GFPQ in March 1976 for $35,520 from Hillcrest Aircraft, Lewiston, Idaho, then dry leased it from Evergreen Air Services of Montreal. Pilot Peck. 1977 – Pilot Westinghouse. 1978 – Flew as #68. Pilot Wall. Repainted and renumbered (#68 to #15) to fleet standard after 4 July, 1978. 1979 – Pilots Wall and McLean. 1980 – Pilot McKnight. 1981 – Pilot Fair. 1982 – Pilot McLean.
Crashed 8 June, 1982. TBM #15 GFPQ piloted by Robert McLean and owned by FPL (out of Boston Brook airstrip) crashed and burned near the North Branch Gounamitz River. Pilot McLean died in the crash.
TBM #15 in the pits at Dunphy.
Official ministry of Transport accident report of the crash of FPL TBM #15. [1982 FPL Operations Report]
Newspaper photo article on the crash of TBM #15. [Don Henry files]
Newspaper photo article on the crash of TBM #15 (images enlarged). [Don Henry files]
