TRAGEDY AT THE CANADIAN NATIONAL EXHIBITION By John C. Corrigan

The Canadian National Exhibition (CNE) had been associated with aerial displays even before the first public display of formation flying there on August 23, 1919, by World War I veteran pilots, including Colonel (Col) William “Billy” Barker. The origins of the Canadian International Air Show (CIAS) can be traced back to the mid-1940s. As Dan Dempsey explains:

 

The first post-war show in 1946 at de Havilland Airport had provided some important lessons, underscoring the fact that Canadians loved to watch airplanes fly.

 

The show in 1948 was switched to Malton where “over 80,000 people stormed the airport” according to the Toronto Globe and Mail. To cater for the growing crowds, the venue eventually switched to Exhibition Park at the CNE grounds. Known as the “National Air Show” between 1950 and 1954, the event was a single day affair sponsored by the City of Toronto on behalf of the Toronto Flying Club. It was held separately from the aerial exhibitions held during the CNE itself.

 

The chairman of the show was Frank Young, a man of extraordinary vision who expanded the National Air Show into the CIAS in 1955. The June 4, 1955, show was the last held in late spring with the 1956 CIAS becoming the feature attraction of the annual CNE. The show is now held every Labour Day weekend.¹

 

By 1957, the CIAS was “Canada’s largest annual flying display.”² That year, the CIAS was a two-day event. Performances were scheduled to begin at 4:10 p.m. on Friday, September 6 and Saturday, September 7. Thursday, September 5 was to be a rehearsal day for the air show participants.

 

To start off the festivities, a formation of seven RCAF aircraft, four F-86 Sabres led by three T-Birds, executed a Prince of Wales Feather³ over the Princes’ Gates at 7:30, Thursday morning. The manoeuvre was seen by an estimated ten million television viewers of the Today Show in the United States and Canada. Dave Garroway, star of the NBC show, and his crew were in Toronto to broadcast from the CNE that morning and the next. The Toronto Star described the TV show as a “three-hour commercial for Canada.” One guest, who was to assist Garroway with a running commentary during the Friday and Saturday shows, was Wing Commander (W/C) Howard “Howie” Norris. Norris, a native of Regina who joined the RCAF in 1940, was the father of six children ranging in age from two to 14-years-old.

During World War II, Norris was a flying instructor at Dauphin, Manitoba, where he was awarded the Air Force Cross. The citation for the award reads:

 

This officer is a keen, energetic and capable flying instructor who has been engaged in flying instructional duties for over four years. He has at all times taken a vital interest in his work and has contributed to the organization of the Instrument Rating Qualifying Courses. His skill and great devotion to duty have contributed to the efficient training of aircrew.

 

After the war, Norris was given a desk job but returned to flight duties, receiving his training on the CF-100 jet fighter at Cold Lake, Alberta. At the age of 37, Norris was referred to as “the old man” by his fellow pilots. His navigator was Flying Officer (F/O) Robert Dougall, a 22-year-old from Lindsay, Ontario, joined the RCAF in 1955. He trained as a navigator in Winnipeg, Manitoba and Cold Lake, Alberta, where he teamed up with Norris. The pair had been flying together for more than a year. They were stationed in Bagotville, Quebec, and were members of 423 Squadron. Norris was one of the best pilots in the air force and he and Dougall were all set to lead the RCAF jets at Canada’s largest air show. But first there was one final rehearsal at the Toronto lakeshore from 4 to 6 p.m.⁴

 

Norris and Dougall began their rehearsal shortly after 4 p.m. Their CF-100 made a pass from east to west along the waterfront, then turned around and came back from west to east. Norris made a low-level pass over the waterfront then started a climb, at the top of which both engines flamed out. Eyewitnesses claimed the CF-100 slipped backwards on its tail before twisting into an inverted spin. Norris fought the spin to straighten out the aircraft and tried to regain control. The aircraft zigzagged downward, belching blue smoke as it fell. Norris was reported to have said, “I’m at 3,000 ft. I can’t make it! I’m going in!” At about 500 ft, Dougall ejected from the rear seat of the aircraft. The young navigator hit the water before his parachute had a chance to open and he was killed. Norris stayed with the plane and died when it crashed into the Toronto Harbour. The aircraft came to rest in about 20 ft of water approximately 200 yards from the north shore of Centre Island. The pilot’s skill was credited with preventing the tragedy from becoming an even greater disaster. The aircraft appeared to be headed for the Royal Canadian Yacht Club’s ferry launch, the Kwasind, which was carrying 14 passengers at the time. The falling CF-100 ended up missing the boat by a mere 100 yards.⁵

 

The RCAF organized a Board of Inquiry, headed by the director of air training at Air Defense Command Headquarters, to determine the cause of the crash. The Star reported that, “RCAF officials said the manoeuvre which preceded the crash was not part of the program Norris was rehearsing.” As always, after fatal accidents at air shows, there are differing opinions about the value of aerobatic displays versus the costs. Alderman Donald Summerville, who would later become the mayor of Toronto, witnessed the accident. He was quoted in the Star on Friday, September 6 as saying, “When [the CF-100] dropped below 500 ft altitude, I turned away. I knew they couldn’t make it.” A member of the CIAS organizing committee and former RCAF pilot during World War II, Summerville went on to say:

 

I don’t think extensive aerobatics, which places a heavy stress on both pilot and aircraft, should be put on for public amusement. I think it might be best in future to limit air force participation in the air show to a straight fly-past and formation flying displays.

 

On the other hand, Major (Maj) J.A. Robinson, leader of the USAF Thunderbirds was quoted by the Star as saying:

 

Air shows aren’t any more dangerous than any other type of flying. I’ve been in about 50 air shows in the past eight months, and this is the first accident that I know of. They are not common.

 

Of course, when a mechanical problem arises during an air show, it usually occurs at a relatively low altitude, which does not allow a pilot much time to assess the situation and determine a course of action. Compounding the problem is the presence of spectators. In the case of the CIAS, watercraft directly below the aerial performers just adds to the danger.⁶

Nevertheless, the CIAS went on as scheduled. As a result of the accident, several last-minute changes were implemented. The two most noticeable changes being: the pilots were required to stay over the water, “at all times”, and aerobatics were to be flown at twice the planned altitudes. Of course, the show would not be as thrilling but the margin of safety was much greater.