Buffalo 461
Encyclopedia
Buffalo 461 was a Canadian military
De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
assigned to the second United Nations Emergency Force force in Syria
in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 340
. Assigned to a peacekeeping
force, Buffalo 461 was shot down by three Syrian missiles on August 9, 1974 killing all nine passengers and crew.
The loss of the Buffalo 461 remains both the largest single-incident loss of life in the history of Canadian
peacekeeping operations and the most recent Canadian Forces aircraft shot down while in service.
to supervise the ceasefire between Egypt and Israel
following the end of the October War. Besides preventing additional flare-ups of fighting, the peacekeeping force was also tasked with assisting the Red Cross
with humanitarian efforts in the region. Canada was a leader in these peacekeeping efforts and was providing logistics, signals and air and service units. Their three Buffalo aircraft were flying six day a week schedules.
UN Flight 51 was Buffalo 461's last flight designation, for a routine scheduled supply trip from Ismailia
, Egypt
to Damascus
, Syria. Five crew members and four military passengers were onboard when the aircraft took off from Beirut International Airport after a stopover. The First Officer, Captain Keith Mirau, received clearance to enter Syrian airspace from the Damascas air traffic control centre at 0945 GMT. Shortly after crossing from Lebanon
into Syria the plane was hit by a surface to air missile launched from a Syrian airfield. Moments later two more missiles struck and destroyed the plane, scattering wreckage across a field near the Syrian town of Ad Dimas. All nine on board were killed.
utility transport with Canadian military serial number 115461. The type was designated CC-115 Buffalo by the Canadian military. It was the 16th Buffalo built and had first flown in 1968.
launched a board of Inquiry to investigate the loss of Buffalo 461. The board was led by LCol J.A. McCann who was unable to determine if the missile attack was accidental or done intentionally to put pressure on the United Nations
to curtail Israeli flights over Syrian airspace.
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
has undertaken a project to rebuild an ex-Sudanese Air Force
DHC-5D to represent Buffalo 461 as a tribute to those lost on Buffalo 461 and all Canadian peacekeepers. August 9 has been established as Peacekeepers' Day by the Canadian government
. A fragment of the original aircraft is on display at the Canadian War Museum
as a memorial to the lost crew members and passengers, who have become known as the Buffalo Nine. A memorial has also been erected at Buffalo Park
in Calgary
, Alberta
, and a fragment of the fuselage is on permanent display at the National War Museum in Ottawa
.
Canadian Forces
The Canadian Forces , officially the Canadian Armed Forces , are the unified armed forces of Canada, as constituted by the National Defence Act, which states: "The Canadian Forces are the armed forces of Her Majesty raised by Canada and consist of one Service called the Canadian Armed Forces."...
De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
De Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing utility transport, a turboprop aircraft developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou...
assigned to the second United Nations Emergency Force force in Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
in support of United Nations Security Council Resolution 340
United Nations Security Council Resolution 340
United Nations Security Council Resolution 340, adopted on October 25, 1973, after the outbreak of the Yom Kippur War. After learning of the apparent failure of resolutions 338 and 339, the Council demanded an immediate and complete cease-fire be observed and the parties return to the positions...
. Assigned to a peacekeeping
Peacekeeping
Peacekeeping is an activity that aims to create the conditions for lasting peace. It is distinguished from both peacebuilding and peacemaking....
force, Buffalo 461 was shot down by three Syrian missiles on August 9, 1974 killing all nine passengers and crew.
The loss of the Buffalo 461 remains both the largest single-incident loss of life in the history of Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
peacekeeping operations and the most recent Canadian Forces aircraft shot down while in service.
UN Flight 51
The second United Nations Emergency Force was authorized by the United Nations Security CouncilUnited Nations Security Council
The United Nations Security Council is one of the principal organs of the United Nations and is charged with the maintenance of international peace and security. Its powers, outlined in the United Nations Charter, include the establishment of peacekeeping operations, the establishment of...
to supervise the ceasefire between Egypt and Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
following the end of the October War. Besides preventing additional flare-ups of fighting, the peacekeeping force was also tasked with assisting the Red Cross
International Committee of the Red Cross
The International Committee of the Red Cross is a private humanitarian institution based in Geneva, Switzerland. States parties to the four Geneva Conventions of 1949 and their Additional Protocols of 1977 and 2005, have given the ICRC a mandate to protect the victims of international and...
with humanitarian efforts in the region. Canada was a leader in these peacekeeping efforts and was providing logistics, signals and air and service units. Their three Buffalo aircraft were flying six day a week schedules.
UN Flight 51 was Buffalo 461's last flight designation, for a routine scheduled supply trip from Ismailia
Ismaïlia
-Notable natives:*Osman Ahmed Osman, a famous and influential Egyptian engineer, contractor, entrepreneur, and politician, was born in this town on 6 April 1917....
, Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
to Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria. Five crew members and four military passengers were onboard when the aircraft took off from Beirut International Airport after a stopover. The First Officer, Captain Keith Mirau, received clearance to enter Syrian airspace from the Damascas air traffic control centre at 0945 GMT. Shortly after crossing from Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
into Syria the plane was hit by a surface to air missile launched from a Syrian airfield. Moments later two more missiles struck and destroyed the plane, scattering wreckage across a field near the Syrian town of Ad Dimas. All nine on board were killed.
Aircraft
The aircraft was a twin-engined De Havilland Canada DHC-5 BuffaloDe Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo
The de Havilland Canada DHC-5 Buffalo is a short takeoff and landing utility transport, a turboprop aircraft developed from the earlier piston-powered DHC-4 Caribou...
utility transport with Canadian military serial number 115461. The type was designated CC-115 Buffalo by the Canadian military. It was the 16th Buffalo built and had first flown in 1968.
Aftermath and legacy
The Canadian Department of National DefenceDepartment of National Defence (Canada)
The Department of National Defence , frequently referred to by its acronym DND, is the department within the government of Canada with responsibility for all matters concerning the defence of Canada...
launched a board of Inquiry to investigate the loss of Buffalo 461. The board was led by LCol J.A. McCann who was unable to determine if the missile attack was accidental or done intentionally to put pressure on the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
to curtail Israeli flights over Syrian airspace.
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum
The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is a Canadian aviation museum located at the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport near Hamilton, Ontario. The museum has 36 military jets, propeller-driven aircraft and helicopters on display....
has undertaken a project to rebuild an ex-Sudanese Air Force
Sudanese Air Force
The Sudanese Air Force is the air force operated by the Republic of the Sudan. As such it is part of the Sudanese Armed Forces.-History:The Sudanese Air Force was founded immediately after Sudan gained independence from the United Kingdom in 1956. The British assisted in the Air Force's...
DHC-5D to represent Buffalo 461 as a tribute to those lost on Buffalo 461 and all Canadian peacekeepers. August 9 has been established as Peacekeepers' Day by the Canadian government
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
. A fragment of the original aircraft is on display at the Canadian War Museum
Canadian War Museum
The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Located in Ottawa, Ontario, the museum covers all facets of Canada’s military past, from the first recorded instances of death by armed violence in Canadian history several thousand years ago to the country’s most recent...
as a memorial to the lost crew members and passengers, who have become known as the Buffalo Nine. A memorial has also been erected at Buffalo Park
Peacekeeper Park
Peacekeeper Park is an urban park in Calgary, Alberta. The park is located in the neighbourhood of North Glenmore, on the former grounds of Canadian Forces Base Calgary...
in Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, and a fragment of the fuselage is on permanent display at the National War Museum in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
.