Watch on YouTube
Buffalo C-46's New Engine Hemorrhages Oil - Holman Island Fuel Gamble
Minutes after takeoff, a brand-new C-46 engine hemorrhages oil. Buffalo scrambles, and a fuel gamble decides if Holman Island gets its cargo and the crew makes it home. On a frigid morning out of Yellowknife, TXW’s newly overhauled right engine begins losing oil fast. Captain Devin Brooks, co-pilot Scott Blue and engineer Adam Smith spot the shimmering trail and turn back. On the ramp, director of maintenance Rod McBrien and the team trace the loss to failed blower seals - the 1.4 hour old engine is a write-off. Plan B: get C-46 AVO out the door. But it was never plugged in overnight, and Buffalo Joe is furious. Once thawed, AVO launches on a two-day High Arctic run with stops in Norman Wells and Inuvik. The right engine is guzzling 121 gallons per hour, so Devin hand-leans the carburetor to bring it down near 110 and phones Rod with the numbers before pressing on. At Inuvik the load changes everything: about 20 doors and insulated, argon-filled quadruple-pane windows bound for Holman Island. To protect the windows, the crew must cruise low, burning more fuel, and there is no avgas at Holman. After offload, Scott dips the tanks and the right wing is 50 gallons lighter. With drums off-limits, Devin orders a crossfeed to balance fuel, then aims for Yellowknife. Betting on winds aloft, the empty C-46 climbs to 11,000 feet for better ground speed while Devin keeps both engines on the ragged edge of lean. Back at HQ, Mikey and crew track the flight until the C-46 rolls onto final with legal reserves intact. Meanwhile, a Buffalo DC-3 ferries 22 dogs and mushers from Rankin Inlet to the Arctic Winter Games in Grand Prairie. Young musher Tristan Diaz caps his trip with a bronze medal. Subscribe for more Ice Pilots moments from Buffalo's toughest runs across the North. #IcePilots #BuffaloAirways #C46 #ArcticFlying #HolmanIsland #Aviation #DC3 #DogMushing