I was on duty as a part time worker (15 years old at the time) just getting off a midnight shift at the Heritage Inn at the corner of Rexdale Blvd and HWY 27 on July 5, 1970.

I believe it was just shortly past 07:00 when I glanced in the sky and saw a Air Canada DC-8 flying due North East just billowing smoke and flames from the Starboard wing. I watched in horror as the plane lumbered through the early morning sky. It slowly dawned on me what was happening and I ran to the night auditor and asked him to get the keys to the Hotel station wagon. We proceeded to follow the smoke trail as the plane had vanished leaving only the trail to follow.

Having been brought up in the area, I knew the roads fairly well and we went up the 27 hwy and doglegged over to Islington ave. I believe we went back west to one on the then concession roads (all changed now) and located what could only be described as the worst nightmare one could ever see. Burning wreckage strewn for hundreds of feet and the largest part no more a 20 ft splintered section. There were still flames and choking smoke when we arrived and several emergency vehicles from Woodbridge but not more than a dozen rescuers in sight. We asked if we could help and were quickly asked to assist and it becomes sharper in my minds eye that the only thing we were assisting with is picking up body parts and putting flagged stakes into the ground when located.

There were half burned tires still smoldering and portions of metal that could not be described as an airplane. One piece of fuselage had slid to within a few dozen meters of a farm of some sort. Oddly enough my sister's then boyfriend's farm was two properties over. The adrenaline was so significant that it kept me through the next 72 hours non-stop.

After a bit it was numbing and you did not realize you were picking body parts up or categorizing personal belongings of humans. If memory serves me correct there were 109 souls aboard however one may have disembarked in Montreal. I believe the flight was # 862 (forgot the fin #) and it was enroute to LAX via YYZ after leaving YUL.

The aftermath indicated that the spoilers could be deployed either automatically or manually and the Captain (Pete Hamilton) and his co-pilot (forgot his name) selected the lever the wrong way 80 feet above the runway. The plane fell to the runway and lost not only the outboard # 4 engine but a 14 ft section of the wing resulting in the fuel rupture. Pete attempted a go around not knowing he was missing these critical items.

All these facts came more into the clear sight as in 1974 I joined Air Canada and worked for them for 20 years ending up as the Operations Manager in Cargo. Many of the Dc8's were converted to cargo configuration and I had the opportunity to speak with the Captains. A FAA retrofit placard was installed above the spoiler lever indicating, "do not deploy spoilers in mid air" and several pilots stated they may as well have said "do not crash this airplane."

I also believe that another DC8 (might be Finnair) suffered the same fate within the same year and this prompted the placard. It was a significant reality check in the eyes of a 15 year old boy at the time.

I still have nightmares and try to block it out but seeing remains (or pieces) of humans in what could be described as a war zone certainly moved me. I think the only thing that kept me going was the need to help and that people needed help (at least the relatives did). It probably motivated me to move into the airline world and lord knows I flew in excess of 1.5 million miles both business and pleasure with only a few troubled moments.

I would like to think that Woodbridge memorial arena will be remembered as this was the charnal hall for those souls. To those who lost loved ones, I say my profound condolences and to those who assisted the recovery (for there was no rescue) I go at least...comrade in arms.

--Robert (Brett) Gilmore

I was caddying at the Bayview Golf & Country Club at Steeles and Leslie. We were walking down the first hole (eastward) when I looked ahead and saw something odd in the sky. It looked like a giant flame.

We were so far away (about 10 miles) that the aircraft itself was not visible. All we could see was a large flame, trailing dark thick black smoke, going across the sky, a few degrees above the horizon, going north. It separated in two and the smaller flame fell to the ground. After a little longer, the larger flame also fell to the ground. A plume of black smoke was visible for several minutes after that.

One of the men we were caddying for said 'That's the direction of Malton airport. This can't be good. "

We were pretty somber for the first nine, but didn't find out until we got back to the clubhouse after the first nine holes that indeed it had been a DC8.

--MD