Buffalo Airways Electra Suffers A Crash Landing | Ice Pilots | Wonder

After troubles in the air with the landing gear failing, Ray's crew have to bit the bullet and make for an emergency landing, knowing full well the damage and cost that this is going to have on both the plane, and their business.
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Buffalo Airways is an airline based in Yellowknife, Northwest Territories, Canada. They mainly fly WWII-era piston powered propeller planes in minus 40 degrees and land on tiny strips of tarmac in the tundra.
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[@zoidberg444]

I felt bad for Ray when I saw this - what a thing to happen weeks before retirement. Although you can't beat having 50 years flying experience on board if you have to land a crippled aircraft like that. First class work from the lads at Buffalo.

[@bbayerit]

Ray's love for his job is quite apparent, in spite of his words. Well done, good sir. Because of you, everyone on board is alive to fly again. God bless.

[@jakeaff3006]

I felt his pain. Not because I could relate in any way. But because I could feel it from every word he spoke. When he started tearing up talking about “sometimes your best isn’t good enough”, that was straight pain. My man didn’t put a scratch on one living life that day. But his injured bird had him in tears. That’s a true pilot, and human being all wrapped into one.

[@natcalverley4344]

Wrong . I understand the sentiment but as a retired float plane driver I can tell you air crews are replaceable. It happens all the time. They build hours and want to fly for the big boys after they have made all their mistakes and gained experience at small outfits. It is the way of the North . Be a rampy for a season or two then get a sniff at being in the cockpit . Prove yourself and you are on your way all while working for less than minimum wage so you better love flying. Losing a aircrew to a tragedy is heartbreaking but even they are replaced but their memory lives on in the lives of their friends and loved ones forever.

[@stevenbillman7418]

@@jakeaff3006 66yy6

[@solannaaa]

When the pandemic started, I started watching these kind of documentaries and I became addicted.

[@markstopkey4085]

We formed a help group for this! 😄

[@thomasbayer5736]

Join the club!

[@ZAN-THE-GOAT]

Same as me but a lot was filmed in 2012 so they are a bit old

[@craigf3624]

A pilot never wants to see his plane damaged, but the crew did the very best that could be expected under the circumstances, no one was hurt.

[@johnnyg1261]

Pop lpl see a D No

[@colinward1007]

@@johnnyg1261 English?

[@mikearakelian6368]

Like crashing your vet stingray...brings tears to one's eyes

[@trespire]

I was technical ground crew - structural technician in the Israeli Air Force. In D-Check (heavy maintenance depot) the jets were sometimes litrally dissmantled to bits. Engines removed, wings and horizontal stabalizers dissconnected, all avionics removed, no canopy, sometimes stripped bare of all paint. To the untrained eye, not much left to look at. Pilots almost never ever went anywhere near the D-Check hangers, I was told pilots didn't feel comfortable seeing their jets in bits and pieces. Planes can be repaired and even rebuilt. Air crew are not replacable.

[@taproom113]

Thank you for your service, Sir! Shalom & Semper Fi ^v^

[@volador2828]

I used to do the same work as you... it was unreal looking at a skeleton plane and then put it back together.

[@trespire]

@@taproom113 Thank you.

[@trespire]

@@volador2828 What I only realized several years later, weight for weight, some aluminium alloys are over 3 times stronger than low carbon steel. There is liberal use of AL7075 - T6, and even T7 throught F-15 & F-16 structure. These jets are rated to around 14G. Metalurgy & materials science is wild !

[@volador2828]

@@trespire Yep, I also use to run oil samples on jets. I learned quite a bit about metals and oil. About 3-500 samples a day! I've grounded a few airplanes in my day...

[@markomaticd4106]

What an incredible landing, and what an excellent job of attempting to get that gear down. I have great respect for that crew.

[@sgd5k292]

I had tears in my eyes watching this. In the early '60's, at 13 years old, the Electra was the first plane I had ever flown in and had a number of round trip flights in them from LA to Oakland. That was when I decided I wanted to learn to fly. Although I never got to fly an Electra, I did fly for over 20 years including the largest plane being a C-47. This plane was actually Donald Douglasses' personal plane that in 1946 he had it pulled off the C-47 line and converted it to use as his personal plane. Great memories.

[@ThePaulv12]

Yeah it was heartbreaking to watch.

[@TheGrumpyEnglishman]

It was returned to the air by Buffalo. It now serves with them as a tanker in a new paint scheme..

[@garyroth2764]

Watching this brought back memories, and the emotions too, of my time in Alaska during the 60s where we worked in a similar environment, and especially our gear up landing in a C-130. We saved everything but some skin. These events all start on a normal day, and then usually go downhill. In the USAF we weren't hampered by the fiscal restraints of Buffalo but the emotions were no less real. You guys are a rare breed and have my undying admiration for taking on projects that the big guys just sniff at and ignore. The inherent dangers of working with old equipment in dangerous conditions is scary but, you do it anyway because it invariably involves life issues and or survival of the company or both. You have my admiration.

[@joncox9719]

After 40 years in Aviation, nothing I hated more than being told you have "X" amount of time and it HAS to be flying! That's what KILLS! I've been up for 48 hours straight to be the "HERO"! Looking back, I now realize how STUPID it was and how easy it is to make a FATAL mistake that could kill everyone on the aircraft! Just as Pilot's have duty time restrictions, so should maintenance personel! When you rush and work tired, you make mistakes!

[@guytrimble8171]

I agree.

[@Hubjeep]

38:10 I was thinking the same thing! This isn't getting a pool ready last minute for the 4th of July in the Hamptons, this is lives potentially at risk. I'm surprised the boss was that stern on camera.... I see little room for CRM in that communication. That's: "yes boss".

[@captlarry-3525]

Amen. I understand he needs his crew to make it happen, so they dont lose revenue... without which it all stops flying. But your point is the right one.

[@michaelgrey7854]

I agree. Nothing should come before safety. But this is a mickey mouse outfit.

[@virgillasher5656]

the pilot saved all lives and did the least damage to the plane he did a great job under those conditions and should be proud i congradulate him and all crew

[@bigb6866]

The respect the pilots have for their plane is unmatched.

[@jimksa67]

BUT maintenance , flight engineer nor pilots caught the wheel scuff marks on the doors initially on walk around - how could they miss that?! Great job but sloppy habits make for dangerous and expensive swiss cheese. .02

[@christiaanmostert6870]

Awesome example of keeping a cool head by a top notch flight crew! What a great episode and congrats with the excellent photography!!

[@elosogonzalez8739]

Capt. Ray has "The Right Stuff"! It could have so much worse. After such an accident, it took alot of balls to get back in the saddle! Ray and Joe realized this crew had to be together again. Outstanding episode! Looks like damage to BAQ won't be terminal. Is it repairable? Way to go eh?!

[@AviationNut]

Yes BAQ was repaired and put back into service and it's still flying for Buffalo airways to this day.

[@elosogonzalez8739]

@@AviationNut Maybe not the airplane for unimproved airport operations. Enjoy every epsiode.

[@died4us590]

I was so glad that joe was so calm with ray, because he did the best landing you could do under the situation. I hope they all thanked GOD for getting them home safe. God bless everyone.

[@prof.heinous191]

Ray "You do your best, and sometimes it's not good enough." Ray, it was a mechanical issue, you did your best, and that's way better than most could do, and you saved your crew and half an airplane. Great job!

[@captlarry-3525]

No way to fault that man. None.

[@davidhuckaby832]

As a ground crew that guides it to park with flash lights, the Electra is the most intimidating frightening plane of all planes coming at you with 4 separate 10 foot props spinning at high speed. And when looking up at pilots, you often see them with big smiles.

[@craighagstrom1692]

My dad died in an Electra with all his passengers due to a maintenance fault. It's good to see one end as good as this. That plane looked damn fine on the ground to me.

[@coover65]

great to see this back in service. This was the very first plane I flew on from Brisbane (YBBN) to Melbourne (YMEN) via Sydney back in 1966 when it was owned by Ansett as VH-RMA.

[@billjobes1851]

What a GREAT episode ! KUDOS to the whole production team for a spectacular job. And especially to the heroic men of the flight crew. Such cool under pressure is rare indeed.

[@jdbrown3695]

Scary event, but well done by the pilots to work the problem and come out with the best outcome. Great flying! Great job by the mechs to get the backup ready to fly!

[@bigdmac33]

This is real edge-of-the-seat stuff. Ray is one heck of a pilot.

[@d1sastergirl136]

I feel like the copilot should be praised for admitting he wasn't ready for the emergency landing and was more comfortable with Ray taking over. There have been many planes brought down by ego driven pilots making mistakes. Much praise to the copilot here for putting his ego aside and admitting to Ray he didn't think he should be the one to land the plane.

[@patriciastyles2736]

Loved watching this!!! Good job guys and glad you were safe!!!

[@davidbrett1958]

Best show on the tube and so glad no one was hurt, I've always said those electras are nothing but trouble!

[@allobject]

Amazing, no matter how much it did hurt... understandably. Professionals with real souls and hearts.

[@davidpring9108]

After all of that, the aircraft has been repaired and is still in service today!

[@frostyfrost4094]

Thank you saw this L188 when it was in the UK

[@unablesmilethegamer4323]

It really wasn’t that bad

[@danielgallaher4995]

How many Electra parts are around today??(

[@jmel1000]

@@danielgallaher4995 alot

[@Mike_delta80]

@@danielgallaher4995 With the US NAVY retiring the P-3 there are plenty of parts for the L-188s

[@elliotoliver8679]

Awesome piloting by Ray, a true pilot I would fly with any day

[@terrancestodolka4829]

Good Job. The airplane has done the service for so long that you don't like to lose those great memories of camaraderie with it.

[@howardcroft3748]

Soon after Sean resigned and moved to another company. While I don't criticise his decision in anyway... I felt it was a pity. He had this situation under control. His decision to swap seats with the much more experienced captain was just common sense. I hope he didn't do it from a lack of confidence because from everything we saw ... he totally had this situation under control. Sean was an outstanding pilot. I hope his career continued to reflect the man.

[@obsidiansuby]

I was taught to hit the brakes a bit before transiting the gear, spinning tire is larger and can jam in the doors when it is coming up.

[@michaeldolch9126]

Not a pilot myself but had the same thought.

[@falcorob2057]

Yep, that was how I was taught as well. There was rubber on one of the doors, so it was obviously struck as the gear was retracting, but if the wheel hadn't been spinning the door may not have been dragged into the tyre causing it to deform and jam the wheel in the well. Maybe a bit of a maintenance issue that the door could hit the tyre in the first place, but I think also a pilot training oversight.

[@davidmerullo551]

Yep always tap brakes before transitioning gear. All pilots of RG aircraft in the US are taught this. Why they don’t do so is partly what may have caused this in the first place.

[@stearman456]

@@davidmerullo551 The Electra does have nosewheel rub strips to stop the tires spinning but if you tap the brakes on on a big set of tires (which are heavier than heck) the tires often turn on the wheel - especially in the cold. With a tubed tire the valve stem gets cut off eventually and with a tubeless tire it can break the bead and cause a flat, so they just spin until they stop by themselves. Some airplanes require tapping the brakes (the F4U Corsair is one of them) because the tires just barely fit in the wheel wells, but generally bigger airplanes (because of the mass of the tires) don't. The C-130 is the same way.

[@emiralamsyah9668]

Very experienced Pilots, Very skilled Mechanics, of Buffallo Airways. Go up sirs.

[@ROCKSTARCRANE]

Very heartwarming story. These are real pilots....

[@williamloh9018]

Have been a big fan for years...and this one was one of the best. Nice job Ray and crew...shiny side up. Glad to see you have lost some weight Mikey...one of the few things we can control. Every pound off is 9 miles less capillaries for your heart to deal with. Maybe there is a place to go swimming there...the best way to tighten it all up really. My Dad flew C-47s and C-54s in the USAF...and he sure loved that Gooney Bird.

[@richardmarumaru8955]

That's good you're good pilot and your got out of it safe have a good retirement

[@Scimiter1948]

What a professional crew, they did their job and brought the plane down in the best manner possible.

[@lonpearson2134]

Great job of piloting the aircraft and glad the crew was all safe.

[@WitchidWitchid]

I'd love to work for a company like Buffalo and live up there in the far north. I also like the color scheme they use. That turquoise is so retro. That was also an awesome save. Ray saved the crew and the airplane. Considering what that plane went through the damage wasn't all that bad.

[@olemansailor6519]

I was a P-3A, B and C Orion Instructor Flight engineer in the US Navy for 14 years. The Electra is basically the civilian version of the Orion. I used to fly a P-3C that had done a right MLG failure to deploy landing. The Navy fixed the plane, but no matter what we did to it, it always flew 3° right wing down. I'm retired from the Navy now and I do miss the flying.

[@frozenangel3730]

I just love all the Buffalo staff and crew ... I love Joe most God bless you al...

[@jamessharkey7391]

I would fly with Ray any day. Powerful stuff. God job sir.

[@gordyrother1836]

Ray and crew one hell of a great job.

[@rocknwash]

This was Worth watching. Team in Cockpit and Ground Grew. Everyone Came out safe and best bit was Each Pilot and engineer checking each other before getting back in the Air.

[@dawnamize5118]

I love the can do Attitudes and the decisions the crew made for the best outcome.

[@KenJames9911]

This Guy is Legendary.

[@johnpartridge7623]

Total Professionals all of them & I'm really glad that they landed & were ok👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@captlarry-3525]

Beautiful Job... just right ! Nobody could have done anymore... and damage minimized.

[@robinmyman]

Hi Ray…been following your flying for years…always a professional and always learning. EGFH 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿🇬🇧

[@Whocaresss514]

The respect I have for everyone involved can’t be put in writing. Amazing.

[@ajbaumgart4774]

Ray was a good pilot buffalo had glad he was able to land the plane and the crew wasnt hurt or even worse even people on the ground that could not have ended well if it wasnt for rays experience and his quick thinking

[@mck5549]

Phenomenal landing. Experience respected.

[@terrysmith7076]

Great job Guy’s landing and fixing the second Electra. ☮️

[@marcosoares47]

Sensacional. Parabéns à Buffalo!!!!

[@billblair3941]

Love it! This is real life drama. No Hollywood BS.

[@abritabroadinthephilippines]

I really enjoyed this episode thank you guys. 👍✌️

[@greghunsicker4091]

These guys are awesome, keep up the good work we injoy very much watching your business run.

[@Weymann63]

There's a lot of click bait on youtube, this was very real. Amazing pilot skills. Hope they get the old bird flying again.

[@RobertTKlaus]

"Hope they get the old bird flying again." Didn't you watch the video?

[@Weymann63]

@@RobertTKlaus Watched it right through. They got the second one in the air using the crashed one's engine but the crashed one will need alot of love to get airworthy again. Did I miss something?

[@Mark_Ocain]

Love how those old Allison 501-D turboprops kick out the smoke...real pretty LOL

[@richardmarumaru8955]

good pilot man you saved everybody even some of the main parts of the aircraft just have a happy retirement and good memories a pilot

[@rds0009]

Very professional pilots..... Good job Buffalo! 👌🤙

[@betsymess8532]

First time I’ve ever viewed this channel. Great! Ty!

[@Keepmelevel]

Hate to hurt a friend.😕✈️ I’ve loved airplanes since I was a little kid too. I love them more now then ever… I know how he feels. Nice job Ray! 🫡

[@nancychace8619]

I had to stop about 33:ish. Got tired of being hammered with phone beeps. But what a story! Ray has nothing to be ashamed of. Everybody walked away. A colorful retirement. Unclear to me when this happened. Couldn't find a date. The Winds of Fate seem to be going your way. Wish you all good luck. Thanks for sharing.

[@anitaroberts8729]

Great airmanship! Everybody safe and I'm sure BAQ will live to fly another day.

[@thelonemodder630]

That is heck of a perfect landing capt! 💪👍👍👍👍👍

[@janfurze5708]

Just like watching a John Wayne film! Wow Ray.....what a hero!

[@vidanacl6489]

This has to be one of the best episodes, if not the best.

[@naknaksdadn572]

Ray one hell of a pilot!

[@eugeniustheodidactus8890]

*That landing was balls.* My hat is off to Ray !

[@ohwell2790]

When in the ANG in California after being a crew chief engine run qualified in the USAF on C-141A's 1965-1968. I believe that I was the only taxi and runup qualified crew chief in the ANG or USAF on C-130E's. Even the Navy crew chiefs had to have a flight crew do that when we moved to the Navy air station at Mugu . At Van Nuys CA ANG we had a full simulator to qualify on. I was the only crew chief to qualify because no one else wanted the responsibility. Taxing the C-130 was a blast and I could trim the engines on my airplane when we went to the fence ( the fence deflects the prop blast) and balance the engine prop combination with the engine shop guys to get the most out of the airplane. C-130E 64-1799 a antique by todays standard. Now retired and still miss those days. Now, they don't let enlisted to do that anymore. Such a shame there are a lot of smart people in the USAF/ Navy/Army that could qualify to do that. It is and was so much fun taxiing that plane. Because of that got a lot of trips out of the US.

[@brawlking6332]

Ray you are amazing 👏 👏👏👏👏

[@keithdoot7366]

Nicely Done Ray!

[@hotelgulf]

Lockheed Electra: BADA$$ to the bone. 💚✅

[@jerseymike4135]

That was a superb piece of flying. Well done!

[@colincampbell7126]

And Chuck's the man!

[@bigd4561]

Amazing skills. Controlled!!

[@valentinke]

Ooh ;; I loved this bird so much

[@Softail77us]

That's the most riveting episode I've seen.

[@michaeldundee8300]

13:50 pilots are legendary

[@kennedysingh3916]

Watched from Jamaica wear the US use to have two WW2 military bases which I have researched. I was tense all the way as I watch but glad every one is OK.

[@Mark_Ocain]

These guys were soooo cool in a crisis. Plenty of guys would be jumping out of their skin in panic. That's experience shining through right there.

[@TruthAboutHeaven]

Awesome job guys! You can't buy bravery.

[@espr7564]

Great job guys, everybody got out !!

[@waltertheunis1415]

Respect!

[@captlarry-3525]

must be one of the last of these 60's turbo prop passenger liners flying.

[@inhale.exhale.2527]

that pilot be a boss!! respect. 👍👍👍

[@gerrydepp8164]

When a gear is stuck down you leave it down. Great landing!

[@colincampbell7126]

Nice flyin' there captain...

[@mortdk]

Incredible and scary to watch an airplane crash while everybody will know it will happen. And amazing how calm and professional pilot Ray and company owner Joe McBryan are taking this.

[@ar05978]

I'm here for this month watering documentary

[@billdurham8477]

Thumbs down for Google ads at touchdown, way to go. And time to sport for that L100/C130E??

[@ndlovu1699]

I'm the first to day on wonder , I love your video and your narrative

[@DerredmaxTRIAX]

That is one great pilot.!

[@dennisharrington6055]

Thanks

[@my-yt-inputs2580]

Retired Herk FE. Been to Yellowknife a few times doing the Dew Line support missions.

[@adventure002006]

You guys are amazing.

[@captainsoftheazulcarrib7491]

Well done.

[@asya9493]

Good landing and well done mate !!

[@fhuber7507]

Joe looked fully concerned for the safety of the people. He's often an A$$.... but he does care.

[@alanc6781]

What an amazing landing.

[@earlsteves8141]

Your a good man sir.