On 11 February 1978, Pacific Western Airlines Flight 314, a Boeing 737-200, crashed at Cranbrook/Canadian Rockies International Airport, near Cranbrook, British Columbia, Canada, killing 43 of the 49 people on board.

[1] The scheduled flight from Fort McMurray International Airport to Castlegar Airport via Edmonton, Alberta, Calgary, Alberta and Cranbrook, British Columbia crashed after its thrust reversers did not fully stow following an aborted landing to avoid a snowplow on the runway.

Flight 314 was expected to report on the approach when passing the "Skookum Beacon", which would give about seven minutes' notice of arrival at Cranbrook.

[6] Upon passing the Skookum beacon, Captain Miles elected not to do a customary circle and proceeded for a straight-in approach into Runway 16 at Cranbrook.

To avoid a fatal collision, Miles immediately disengaged reverse thrust and both pilots slammed the throttle levers all the way forward and pulled back on their control columns to abort the 737's landing and initiate a go-around.

About six seconds after going around and 4,000 feet (1,200 m) from the runway threshold, as the aircraft climbed through 300 to 400 feet (91 to 122 m) and the airspeed increased, aerodynamic forces caused the left thrust reverser to deploy, causing the plane to yaw hard to the left, making the plane very difficult to fly and the airspeed greatly decayed.

Flight 314 was now in a high drag configuration close to the ground, at a low speed, and with a deployed thrust reverser.

One additional survivor was found in the forward section of the aircraft with a severe head injury, but died 11 days later.

[6] Boeing simulations showed that the aircraft was controllable with one engine at idle reverse and the other at full forward thrust in a gear up, flaps 15° configuration.

[6]: 36 The events of the crash featured in an episode of the History channel documentary Disasters of the Century, entitled "Collision Course".