Positioning

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

MSN:

836

YOM:

1945

Location:

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Circumstances:

On approach to Red Lake, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with snow falls and strong winds. He lost control of the airplane that crashed in a field. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was injured.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A in London

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALDH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

81/9

YOM:

1950

Location:

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Circumstances:

Upon landing at Heathrow Airport, the right main landing gear collapsed. The four engine aircraft skidded on runway before coming to rest. All six crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right main gear upon landing due to fatigue.

Crash of a Douglas C-118A Liftmaster at Elmendorf AFB

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-118 Liftmaster

Operator:

Registration:

N11817

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Elmendorf-Richardson AFB (JBER)

Schedule:

Anchorage - Elmendorf

MSN:

44653

YOM:

1955

Location:

Alaska

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a positioning flight from Anchorage International Airport to Elmendorf AFB. The approach was completed in marginal weather conditions with a limited visibility due to fog. On final, the four engine aircraft was too low and struck the ground 1,200 feet short of runway threshold. All four crew members were rescued while the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Wrong approach configuration on part of the captain had used an rpm setting of 2200 instead of 2400 during the approach, power setting of 20" manifold pressure instead of 25" and a 40° flap setting instead of 30°. The first officer and the flight engineer were aware of this but failed to report it to the captain. Furthermore, the GCA controller advised the flight that it was below the limits of the glide path.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1B in Lahore: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1960

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

G-AMKT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

MSN:

04291

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Walton Airport in Lahore. The crew was performing a positioning flight on behalf of Gulf Aviation. Both pilots were killed while the flight engineer was injured.
Crew:
C. Veitch, pilot, †
Mr. Burnham, copilot, †
Mr. Morgan, flight engineer.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO off Florida: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1960 at 1410 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Cuban Air Force - Fuerza Aérea del Ejército de Cuba (1952-1961)

Registration:

209

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Consolidated PBY Catalina

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Havana – Miami

MSN:

11643

YOM:

1943

Location:

Marathon

Florida

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a positioning flight from Havana to Miami for the purpose of maintenance, the propeller to be adjusted. While cruising along the Keys, a distress call was received. The airplane apparently crashed into the Strait of Florida, between Key West and Marathon. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.

Crash of a Lisunov LI-2 in Didino: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1960 at 1118 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lisunov LI-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-19405

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sverdlovsk – Kazan – Moscow

MSN:

184 194 05

YOM:

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

2310

Circumstances:

The aircraft was recently transferred from the Soviet Air Force to Aeroflot and the crew was en route from Sverdlovsk to Moscow-Bykovo with an intermediate stop in Kazan. Technical modifications should be brought on the aircraft, all documentation should be modified and adapted with a new color scheme on the fuselage. En route, the right engine failed and the captain decided to return to Sverdlovsk but he was unable to maintain a safe altitude. The crew jettisoned some of the cargo but few boxes struck the door and one of them remained partially blocked, causing drag. Losing altitude, the airplane struck trees and eventually crashed in a wooded area located near Didino, about 65 km west of Sverdlovsk-Koltsovo Airport. The airplane was destroyed, three crew members were injured and the fourth occupant was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine in flight due to fuel starvation. It was determined that the fuel selector was connected to the left rear tank which was empty. Only 200 liters were added in the tank prior to takeoff and the crew forgot to change the fuel selector in flight to another suitable tank. It is also reported that the crew failed to take the appropriate measures to maintain a safe control of the airplane with one engine inoperative and the captain maintained an insufficient speed of 150 km/h instead of 170 km/h, which contributed to the loss of altitude.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near Ketchikan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1959 at 1620 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

California Aircraft Company

Registration:

N64T

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Juneau - Annette Island

MSN:

2102

YOM:

1944

Location:

Ketchikan

Alaska

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Juneau to Annette Island, the crew reported engine problems. The seaplane later crashed in an isolated area located in the region of Ketchikan. All three occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-414A in San Isidro de El General: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 15, 1959 at 0645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

TI-1005C

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

San José (Central Valley)

Schedule:

San José – San Isidro de El General

MSN:

4959

YOM:

1942

Flight number:

LR019

Location:

San Isidro de El General

Country:

Costa Rica

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from San José, the crew landed on soggy runway 02 at San Isidro de El General Airport. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran by 20 feet and collided with a house. All three crew members evacuated safely while a baby living in house was killed.

Probable cause:

The crew could not hold back the aircraft on its landing run because of the ineffectiveness of the brakes on an extremely wet runway. This condition was aggravated by the fact that the aircraft was operating with almost maximum landing weight.

Crash of a Noorduyn Norseman IV in Allard River: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1959

Type of aircraft:

Noorduyn Norseman

Operator:

Gold Belt Air Service

Registration:

CF-QAA

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type: