B-25 Betty's Dream (the early years)

[Tanker 336]

I just received these pictures from a good friend of my late father. They show the first time when CF-DKU (currently flying as Betty’s Dream) crashed back in 1973 or 1974 when landing with a full load of diesel fuel. Before this B-25 became a water bomber it was used for a few years hauling diesel fuel to the Arctic and Northern British Columbia. This particular incident occurred when the nose wheel collapsed upon landing with a full load on board. At this particular time there was a small diesel tank situated in the nose and this extra weight probably contributed to the nose wheel collapse. It was also mentioned at the time of the crash that the pilot may have braked too hard. You can see from the aerial shot the nose gear still extended for the ferry flight back to Edmonton for more extensive repairs. Just a side note, the same pilot did the same time the following year and that’s when G+M Aircraft purchased it.