Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The crew was completing a night training sortie in RAF North Luffenham. While flying in the vicinity of the airbase, the pilot inadvertently shot down both engines. The aircraft lost speed and height and the crew tried several times to restart the engine without success. In such situation, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a field near the airbase and slid for several yards before coming to rest in flames. While all three crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Inadvertent shut down of both engines in flight on part of the crew.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Kinshasa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1949 at 0745 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBK

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

City

Schedule:

Léopoldville – Elisabethville

MSN:

14600/26045

YOM:

1944

Location:

Kinshasa-Ndolo

Kinshasa City Province

Country:

Democratic Republic of Congo

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft encountered problems to gain height. The captain started to turn to the right when the aircraft stalled and crashed inverted near the airport. All three crew members and two passengers were killed while 15 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on both engines after liftoff due to the fact that the fuel was contaminated with water. It was determined that a certain amount of water was in the tank at the time of the accident. In addition, the spark plugs were dirty and the electrical contact was poor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL near Laghouat: 1 killed

Date & Time: Aug 22, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Société de Transports Aériens Alpes Provence - STAAP

Registration:

F-BEFK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Algiers – Gao

MSN:

19471

YOM:

1944

Location:

Laghouat

Country:

Algeria

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route to Gao, an engine failed, forcing the captain to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed near Laghouat and was written off. A crew member was killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK near Mossley: 24 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1949 at 1159 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

G-AHCY

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Belfast – Manchester

MSN:

12355

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew left Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport at 1058LT and started the approach to Manchester-Ringway Airport from the northeast in marginal weather conditions. While descending at an altitude of 1,350 feet in low visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain (1,400 feet high) located in the Pennines mountain range, about two miles east of Mossley. The aircraft hit the slope less than 50 feet below the summit and was destroyed by impact forces. All three crew members and 21 passengers were killed while eight passengers were seriously injured.

Probable cause:

The cause of the accident was an error in navigation, incorrect approach procedure and failure to check the position of the aircraft accurately before the descent from a safe height.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Ankara: 7 killed

Date & Time: Aug 14, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

6063

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Ankara – Izmir

MSN:

13737

YOM:

1944

Location:

Ankara-Etimesgut

Central Anatolia Region (İç Anadolu Bölgesi)

Country:

Turkey

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked left, lost height and crashed near the runway. All seven occupants were killed, among them three Turkish crew and four RAF personnel.

Probable cause:

Loss of control shortly after rotation due to the failure of the left engine.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Bojacá: 32 killed

Date & Time: Aug 13, 1949 at 1330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Servicios Aéreos Tolima

Registration:

HK-1200

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bogotá – Ibagué

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Bogotá-Techo Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on a mountain located near Bojacá, about 20 km northwest of Bogotá. All 32 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-25-DK Dakota C.4 in Salahleh: 12 killed

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

KN336

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Aden – Salahleh

MSN:

15901/32649

YOM:

1945

Location:

Salahleh

Woqooyi Galbeed (وقويي جالبيد‎)

Country:

Somalia

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The descent to Salahleh Airport was started in marginal weather conditions. On approach, the aircraft hit a hill and crashed few km from the airport. Eleven occupants were killed while a crew member was seriously injured. He died from his injuries a day later.
Crew:
S/Ldr D. Forward,
F/Lt R. Diggory,
Cpl D. Howden,
Cpl R. A. Prior,
F/Lt N. T. Evans,
F/O D. P. Hinton,
Cpl J. J. Gibson,
Sgt T. J. A. Pearce,
Nav L. A. Bain.

Probable cause:

The minimum safe altitude was fixed at 5,000 feet to descent to Salahleh Airport. Probably due to bad visibility caused by low clouds, the crew continued the descent down to 3,000 feet, causing the aircraft to collide with ground.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-45-DL off Joinville

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Lineas Aéreas Brasileiras - LAB

Registration:

PP-AJB

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Curitiba – Joinville

MSN:

9971

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Joinville Airport, both engines suffered a major technical failure. The crew reduced his altitude and performed an emergency landing in the Baia de Babitonga. The aircraft came to rest about 5 km short of runway 33 threshold. While all 15 occupants were slightly injured, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

For undetermined reason, both propellers detached on approach.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-10-DK in Marsa Matruh: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jul 16, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

349050

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Desert

Schedule:

El Adem – Nicosia – Saigon

MSN:

14866/26311

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While flying along the Egyptian coast, en route to Saigon via Nicosia, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The pilot decided to reduce his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed near Marsa Matruh, killing all nine crew members registered to the Touraine Group.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

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