North-Wright Airways

North-Wright Airways or North Wright Air is an airline based in Norman Wells, Northwest Territories, Canada. It operates commuter services to several communities in the Northwest Territories as well as charter services. Their main base is Norman Wells Airport and they also operate the Norman Wells Water Aerodrome which is used for floatplane operations.^[6][7]

North-Wright Airways

Twin Otter on the Mackenzie River near Norman Wells
IATA ICAO Call sign HW NWL[1] NORTHWRIGHT[1]
Founded	1986
AOC #	5732[2]
Operating bases	Norman Wells Airport, Norman Wells Water Aerodrome
Hubs	Norman Wells
Focus cities	Inuvik
Fleet size	17,[3] at least 9[4]
Destinations	8[5]
Parent company	North Wright Air Limited
Headquarters	Norman Wells, Northwest Territories
Employees	80
Website	Official website

History

North-Wright Airways was established in 1986 and was previously known, since 1979, as Nahanni Air Services and North Wright Air.^[6]

Destinations

As of July 2024, North-Wright Airways serves the following destinations:^[5]

• Aklavik (Aklavik/Freddie Carmichael Airport)
• Colville Lake (Colville Lake/Tommy Kochon Aerodrome)
• Deline (Déline Airport)
• Fort Good Hope (Fort Good Hope Airport)
• Inuvik (Inuvik (Mike Zubko) Airport)
• Norman Wells (Norman Wells Airport) - main base
• Tulita (Tulita Airport)
• Yellowknife (Yellowknife Airport)

A Pilatus PC-6 Porter

Fleet

As of July 2024, North-Wright operates at least nine aircraft and has seventeen registered with Transport Canada:^[4][3]

North-Wright Airways

Aircraft	No. of aircraft TC[3]	No. of aircraft NWL[4]	Variants	Notes
Beechcraft 1900	4	5	1900D	Up to 19 passengers
Cessna 185	1	—	185F	3 passengers, float and ski capable, not listed at North-Wright site
Cessna 206	2	n/a	U206 (F (Stationair), G (Stationair))	5 passengers ski/floats
Cessna 207	4	n/a	207A Skywagon/Stationair 8	5 or 6 passengers
Cessna 208 Grand Caravan	2	2	208B	9 passengers, scheduled service
de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter	2	2	1 – Series 100 1 – Series 300	16 to 18 passengers
Helio Courier	1	—	H-295	4 passengers, tundra tyres or wheel/skis, not listed at North-Wright site
Pilatus PC-6 Porter	1	1	PC-6/B-H2	Up to 10 passengers
Total	17	At least 11

Several of the above aircraft types can be configured for floatplane operations from lakes or rivers in addition to being operated as landplanes using conventional runways or airstrips.

Accidents

• On 5 July 2004, a Twin Otter, C-FMOL, was departing a 1,500 ft (460 m) gravel runway just off the Canol Road west of Norman Wells. As they took off the aircraft was caught by a sudden crosswind and returned to the runway where the left wheel caught some willows that were growing onto the airstrip. The aircraft went off the end of the strip and the wing became detached. No one was killed or injured^[8]
• On 14 September 2005, a Cessna 207, C-FAWL, left Tulita Airport for Norman Wells. About 7 nautical miles (13 km; 8.1 mi) the aircraft, with one pilot and two passengers, went down into the muskeg and flipped over. The passengers were uninjured but the pilot had serious injuries.^[9]
• On 16 August 2006, a Cessna 337, C-FWHP, was flying from Fort Good Hope Airport to Norman Wells with one pilot and five passengers. the aircraft went overdue and a search was begun. The wreckage was found about 26 NM (48 km; 30 mi) east of Fort Good Hope. All passengers and the pilot were killed.^[10]
• On 16 July 2008, a Twin Otter was on final for Hook Lake when the aircraft stalled. The aircraft hit some trees near the shore of the lake but neither pilot was injured.^[11]
• On 20 May 2010, the wing of a Cessna 207, that was flying at a low altitude at Fort Good Hope Airport hit another North-Wright pilot. The pilot on the ground, William Bleach, who was filming at the time, died three days later. Parker James Butterfield, who was flying the C207, was sentenced to nine months and suspended from flying for two years.^[12][13][14]

References

1. "ICAO Designators for Canadian Aircraft Operating Agencies, Aeronautical Authorities and Services" (PDF). Nav Canada. 4 May 2023. p. 5. Retrieved 18 July 2024. North Wright Air: NWL, NORTHWRIGHT
2. Transport Canada (18 July 2024), Civil Aviation Services (CAS) AOC. wwwapps.tc.gc.ca.
3. "Canadian Civil Aircraft Register: Quick Search Result for North-Wright Airways". Transport Canada.
4. "Fleet". Retrieved 18 July 2024.
5. "North-Wright Airways destinations". 19 July 2023. Retrieved 18 July 2024.
6. "Directory: World Airlines". Flight International. 10 April 2007. p. 56.
7. Nav Canada's Water Aerodrome Supplement. Effective 0901Z 26 March 2020 to 0901Z 22 April 2021.
8. "CADORS report for C-FMOL". Transport Canada.
9. "CADORS report for C-FAWL". Transport Canada.
10. "CADORS report for C-FWHP". Transport Canada.
11. "CADORS report for DHC-6 Twin Otter". Transport Canada.
12. Pilot pleads guilty to dangerous flying in film-shoot death
13. Sask. pilot gets 9-month sentence in N.W.T. death
14. ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 74509

External links

• Official website