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From the page called CFB Comox
History
editLong before CFB Comox began sharing the airport with scheduled airlines and other civilian aircraft, a Northwest Airlines B-747 became the first jumbo jet to operate at the field[1] when it made an emergency landing there on June 5, 1979. The flight, chartered by the U.S. military to transport 368 active duty personnel and their families from Travis Air Force Base to Japan and South Korea, was over Cape Scott following an intermediate stop at Sea-Tac when fire broke out in one of the aircraft's engines. Efforts to extinguish the flames were unsuccessful; the crew declared an emergency and requested permission to land on the 10,000 foot runway at CFB Comox. Though no flames were visible, the fire warning light was still flashing in the cockpit as the plane landed.[2] There were no injuries to the passengers or to the 13 crew members. Base officials, practiced at hosting large numbers of Canadian Forces personnel, ensured that the plane's occupants were comfortable while awaiting a new aircraft to carry them to their destinations.