De Havilland BC DHBC-5 Swan

The De Havilland BC DHBC-5 is a four-engined turboprop passenger airliner for 80–110 passengers built by De Havilland British Columbia. Built in passenger, Combi, and freighter variants, many passenger types were subsequently converted to Combis, freighters and firefighting waterbombers. Additionally, one prototype anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft based on the passenger design was built, but not put into production.

Broadly speaking, it is a development of the DHBC-4 Skylark, slightly enlarged and powered by turboprop in place of piston engines.

DHBC-5C Combi
Conversions:
 * Air North: 2, converted in 1996
 * Northern Thunderbird Air: 2, converted in 1979

DHBC-5F freighter
Conversions:
 * Columbia Air Cargo: 5, converted 1975–1978
 * Evergreen International Airlines: 4, converted 1979
 * Fuerza Aérea Hondurana: 3, converted 1979
 * Royal Mail of BC: 6, converted 1980–1992
 * Safair: 4, converted 1983

DHBC-5(FF) waterbomber
Air Spray of Canada operate fourteen DHBC-5(FF) waterbombers converted between 1993 and 2008. A total of fifteen were converted, but one was destroyed in a hangar fire in 2000.

DHBC-5M Tseiqami
In 1965, DHBC unveiled a new anti-submarine and maritime reconnaissance platform based on the Swan, named the DHBC-5M Tseiqami; the name comes from the Kwakwa'kawakw legend of a man who hunts whales out at sea. Although developed as an in-house project without a requirement from the BCDF, the Navy and Air Force were regularly consulted during the development process. The intention was to provide the Navy with a smaller platform to complement the Fleet Air Arm's Canadair Argus aircraft; it was envisioned that the Argus would be used for "far offshore" operations, whilst the Tseiqami would be used in coastal and "near offshore" operations, including around Utari Mosir.

Outwardly, the most distinctive features of the Tseiqami were its "beard" - a chin-mounted radome housing the ASV21 search radar (the same type as used on the Canadian Argus Mk. II used by the RBCN Fleet Air Arm, and its "stinger" - a magnetic anomaly detector housed in a boom at the tail. Like the Argus, it had a glass nose for a forward observer.

Internally, the most innovative element of the Tseiqami was a Forward-Looking Infrared (FLIR) camera mounted in a remotely controlled, retractable turret located midships; designed with the FLIR in mind, the prototype was built with a functional turret, but the camera wasn't fitted until 1966, when DHBC were able to buy one of the first production units from Texas Instruments. Additional to the ASV21 radar and MAD, it was fitted with a radio direction finder, a radar signal pulse tracker, a submarine diesel exhaust tracker, sonobuoy sound analyser (sonobuoys were loaded in a bay of their near the rear of the aircraft, with 36 individual tube launchers) and other equipment. Further, the Tseiqami had a maximum payload of 60 cwt (6,720 lbs) in an internal bay and/or on external hardpoints; internally, torpedoes, bombs, depth charges, mines, and parachute flares could be loaded; twelve 5-inch unguided rockets could be loaded on removable underwing pylons.

The Fleet Air Arm tested the Tseiqami extensively, and though were interested, funds for a purchase could not be secured, due to the delivery of nine Beach-class landing craft that had begun in 1966, and the expense of the ten Nation-class patrol boats, the last two of which had been delivered in 1963. De Havilland offered it to numerous countries, particularly in Central America and Asia, touting it as a more cost-effective - but similarly capable - alternative to larger types like the Argus, the American Lockheed P-3 Orion, or the French Bréguet Atlantic, but failed to secure any orders.

The single prototype was stripped of its ASW equipment and converted into a surveillance aircraft for the Royal BC Constabulary, with whom it remains in service as of 2022.

Operational history
See also: DHBC-5 Swan operators

Operators
Operators who took delivery of aircraft new from the factory are marked with a star (★).

Current

 * Bangladesh
 * Eazy Fly Express: 1 (Swan 5)


 * British Columbia
 * ★ Hawkair: 2 (Swan 5, +6 Swan 5/5(C) retired)
 * ★ Kootenay Airways: 3 (Swan 5C, Swan 5(F), + 1 Swan 5C retired)
 * Northern Thunderbird Air: 6 (2× Swan 5, 3× Swan 5(C), 1× Swan 5C, +11 Swan 5/5C/5(C) retired)
 * ★ Pacific Western Airlines: 4 (Swan 5F, +15 Swan 5/5F retired)
 * Royal BC Constabulary: 1 (Tseiqami)
 * ★ Royal Mail of BC: 7 (1× Swan 5F, 6× Swan 5(F), +1 Swan 5F retired)
 * Utari Air: 2 (Swan 5(F))


 * Canada
 * Air Creebec: 4 (1× Swan 5, 3× Swan 5C)
 * Air North: 2 (Swan 5(C), +2 Swan 5C retired)
 * Air Spray: 14 (Swan 5(FF), +1 retired)
 * Wasaya Airways: 1 (Swan 5C)


 * Kenya
 * Airkenya Express: 1 (Swan 5)


 * Rhodesia-Zimbabwe
 * ★ Royal Rhodesia-Zimbabwe Air Force: 5 (Swan 5F, +2 retired)


 * Zambia
 * Air Charters Zambia: 5 (Swan 5)

Former

 * Angola
 * ★ DTA – Divisão dos Transportes Aéreos: 6 (Swan 5C)
 * TAAG Angola Airlines: 6 (Swan 5C)


 * Argentina
 * ★ Austral Líneas Aéreas: 7 (Swan 5)


 * Bolivia
 * ★ Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano: 6 (Swan 5)


 * Botswana
 * Air Botswana: 4 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Bechuanaland National Airways/Botswana National Airways: 4 (Swan 5)
 * Botswana Airways: 4 (Swan 5)


 * British Columbia
 * ★ Air BC: 20 (8× Swan 5, 12× Swan 5C)
 * ★ Columbia Air Cargo: 14 (9× Swan 5F, 5× Swan 5(F))
 * ★ CP Air: 5 (Swan 5, +1 registered in Canada)
 * ★ Evergreen International Airlines: 14 (9× Swan 5F, 5× Swan 5(F), +4 registered in USA)
 * ★ Inter-Dominion Air Lines: 7 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Northern Air: 8 (3× Swan 5, 5× Swan 5C)
 * ★ Thunderbird Airways: 3 (1× Swan 5, 2× Swan 5C)


 * Burma/Myanmar
 * ★ Union of Burma Airways/Myanmar National Airways: 8 (Swan 5)


 * Canada
 * ★ Air Canada: 7 (Swan 5)
 * Athabaska Airways: 4 (Swan 5C)
 * Calm Air International: 3 (Swan 5C)
 * Canadian Airlines International: 23 (15× Swan 5, 8× Swan 5C)
 * Canadian Regional Airlines: 7 (Swan 5C)
 * ★ CP Air: 1 (Swan 5, +5 registered in BC)
 * ★ Eastern Provincial Airlines: 8 (2× Swan 5, 6× Swan 5C)
 * First Air: 9 (Swan 5C)
 * ★ Nordair: 14 (Swan 5)
 * Northlands Air Manitoba: 1 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Northwest Territorial Airways: 9 (Swan 5C)
 * ★ Time Air: 7 (Swan 5C)
 * Transwest Air: 4 (Swan 5C)


 * Chile
 * Aeronor Chile: 7 (Swan 5C)


 * Colombia
 * Aerocondor Colombia: 6 (Swan 5C)


 * Ecuador
 * ★ Ecuatoriana: 9 (Swan 5)


 * France
 * Air St Pierre: 1 (Swan 5C)
 * Europe Aéro Service: 4 (Swan 5)


 * Gabon
 * Gabon Express: 1 (Swan 5C)


 * Gambia
 * Gambia Airways: 2 (Swan 5C)


 * Ghana
 * ★ Ghana Airways: 3 (Swan 5)


 * Honduras
 * Fuerza Aérea Hondurana: 3 (Swan 5(F))


 * Indonesia
 * Merpati Nusantara Airlines: 9 (Swan 5)


 * Ireland
 * Iona National Airways: 2 (Swan 5)
 * Ireland Airways: 2 (Swan 5)


 * Kenya
 * ★ East African Airways: 5 (Swan 5)
 * Kenya Airways: 2 (Swan 5)


 * Laos
 * ★ Royal Air Lao/Lao Aviation: 4 (Swan 5)


 * Lesotho
 * Lesotho Airways: 4 (Swan 5)


 * Netherlands Antilles
 * ★ ALM Antillean Airlines: 2 (Swan 5)


 * New Zealand
 * ★ Mount Cook Airline: 5 (Swan 5)


 * Oman
 * Oman Aviation: 6 (Swan 5)


 * Paraguay
 * ★ LAPSA Líneas Aéreas Paraguayas: 4 (Swan 5)
 * TAM Mercosur: 4 (Swan 5)


 * Peru
 * ★ APSA Peruvian Airlines: 1 (Swan 5)


 * Rhodesia
 * ★ Air Rhodesia: 5 (Swan 5)


 * Rhodesia & Nyasaland
 * ★ Central African Airways: 3 (Swan 5)


 * Rhodesia-Zimbabwe
 * Air RZ: 5 (Swan 5)


 * Sierra Leone
 * ★ Sierra Leone Airways: 2 (Swan 5)
 * Sierra National Airlines: 2 (Swan 5)


 * South Africa
 * Bop Air: 1 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Comair: 5 (Swan 5)
 * Safair: 4 (Swan 5(F))
 * Sunair: 1 (Swan 5)


 * South Sudan
 * Trans Service Airlift: 1 (Swan 5C)


 * South Vietnam
 * ★ Air Vietnam: 2 (Swan 5)


 * Syria
 * ★ Syrian Arab Airlines: 6 (Swan 5)


 * Tanzania
 * Air Tanzania: 6 (2× Swan 5, 4× Swan 5C)


 * Siam
 * ★ Air Siam: 5 (Swan 5)


 * Thailand
 * Thai Airways: 5 (Swan 5)


 * Tonga
 * Royal Tongan Airlines: 2 (Swan 5)


 * Uganda
 * Uganda Airlines: 1


 * United Kingdom
 * Emerald Airways: 4 (Swan 5)
 * Scottish European Airways: 2 (Swan 5)


 * United States
 * Evergreen International Airlines: 4 (Swan 5(F), +14 registered in BC)
 * Holiday Airlines: 1 (Swan 5)
 * Mid-Pacific Air: 3 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Pacific Southwest Airlines: 8 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Wien Air Alaska: 9 (Swan 5C)


 * Venezuela
 * ★ Avensa: 6 (Swan 5)


 * West Indies
 * ★ BWIA West Indies Airways: 2 (Swan 5)
 * ★ Cayman Airways: 2 (Swan 5)

Accidents & incidents

 * 7 December 1968 Wien Air Alaska Swan N4905 (c/n C845/1966), operating as Flight WAA55 from Anchorage, Alaska, USA to Iliamna, broke up in flight as a result of severe and unexpected turbulence. All 36 passengers and 3 crew were killed.


 * 27 August 1973 Aerocondor Colombia Swan HK-7605 (c/n C1012/1969), operating a scheduled flight from Bogotá, Colombia to Cartagena, crashed into the side of Cerro El Cable Mountain in fog shortly after take-off from Bogotá due to the pilots not following the prescribed instructions for departure from Runway 12. There were no survivors amongst the 36 passengers and 6 crew aboard.


 * 14 March 1975 Royal Air Lao Swan XW-PQB (c/n C775/1964) crashed during a take-off attempted by a non-qualified pilot. All four occupants were killed.


 * 10 July 1975 Aerocondor Colombia Swan HK-7603 (c/n C966/1968), operating a cargo flight from Bogotá, Colombia to Baranquilla, veered suddenly to the right shortly after take-off from Runway 12 and crashed into a parked Aerocosta DC-6 (HK-756). Fire destroyed both aircraft; two of the four crew on the Swan were killed.


 * 30 August 1975 Wien Air Alaska Swan N4904 (c/n C844/1966), operating as Flight WAA99 from Nome, Alaska to Gambell, crashed into a mountain whilst attempting to land on Runway 15 at Gambell and overturned. Weather conditions were poor, with low ceilings and visibility about 1300 feet. A fire started in the left engine but it spread slowly, allowing 22 of 32 occupants to escape. Three crewmembers and seven passengers were killed.


 * 31 March 1977 Nordair Swan CF-NDJ (c/n C963/1968) was destroyed on the ground at Summerside, Prince Edward Island, Canada in a collision with Royal Canadian Air Force CP-107 Argus 10737. The Swan was unoccupied, but all three crew aboard the Argus were killed.


 * 20 April 1979 Aeronor Chile Swan CC-CBR (c/n C926/1968), operating a cargo flight departing Iquique, Chile, landed back on the runway after lift-off and gear retraction, sliding 820 yards on its belly before coming to a stop in the overshoot area of Runway 01. There were no casualties amongst the three crew and two passengers, but the aircraft was written off.


 * 23 January 1980 Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Swan CP-3300 (c/n C839/1966) ran off the taxiway into a ditch, resulting in the nosegear collapsing and damaging a propeller, which in turn damaged the fuel tank, causing a fire. All 15 passengers and 3 crew escaped safely.


 * 2 June 1980 Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Swan CP-3303 (c/n C922 1968), operating a scheduled flight from Cochabamba, Bolivia to Yacuiba, crashed into the Tapecua Hills, killing all 10 passengers and 3 crew aboard.


 * 7 June 1981 Union of Burma Airways Swan XY-ACS (c/n C836/1966) ran off the runway at Thandwe, Myanmar on landing in heavy rain. There were no serious injuries amongst the four crew aboard, but the aircraft was written off.


 * 29 December 1981 Eastern Provincial Airlines Swan C-FBQE (c/n C849/1966) suffered a failure of both the nose gear steering and brakes during taxiing to the gate, and collided with the terminal building. The 15 passengers and 3 crew escaped safely, but the aircraft was written off.


 * 19 January 1982 Northern Thunderbird Air Swan VB-TBO (c/n C778/1965), operating as Flight NTA79 from Cassiar, BC to New Aiyansh, overran the runway on take-off after the pilot attempted to abort after V1 had been passed. The aircraft broke up and caught fire; of the 33 passengers and 4 crew aboard, twelve escaped.


 * 21 June 1988 Hawkair Swan VB-HWO (C779/1965), operating a charter cargo flight from Wrangell, Alaska to Bronson Creek, groundlooped on landing and ran off the runway, causing the undercarriage to collapse. There were no casualties amongst the three crew aboard, but the aircraft was written off.


 * 10 July 1988 Kenya Airways Swan 5Y-ESB (c/n C803/1965), operating as Flight KQA650 from Nairobi, Kenya to Kisumu, was written off after a gear-up landing and skidding 660 yards along the runway. The crew had failed to perform the landing checklist and forgot to lower the landing gear due to extended, non-pertinent conversation. There were no casualties amongst the 39 passengers and 4 crew aboard.


 * 3 February 1989 Union of Burma Airways Swan XY-AED (c/n C890/1967), operating a scheduled flight from Rangoon, Burma to Keng Tung, entered a bank of fog after take-off from Runway 03, veered to the left, and collided with a tree about 1600 feet from the end of the runway. The aircraft burst into flames after hitting the ground; there were only three survivors amongst the 25 passengers and 4 crewmembers aboard.


 * 14 August 1991 Canadian Airlines International Swan C-FBQD (c/n C806/1965) caught fire whilst unloading a cargo of fuel at Big Trout, Ontario, Canada. The aircraft burnt out and was written off.


 * 12 December 1993 Air Tanzania Swan 5H-EAB (c/n C804/1965) was written off after the undercarriage collapsed on touchdown following a flapless landing approach during a training flight. The aircraft sustained major damage to the fuselage and was broken up for spares.


 * 8 June 2004 Gabon Express Swan TR-LFW (c/n C805/1965), operating as Flight GBE221 from Libreville, Gabon to Franceville, suffered an oil pressure loss in no. 2 engine shortly after take-off. The crew opted to return to the airport, but due to hydraulic problems the undercarriage would not extend. The aircraft overflew the runway and ditched 110 yards offshore. There were 19 fatalities amongst the 26 passengers and 4 crew aboard.