Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

N4994E

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Gallup – Albuquerque

MSN:

12442

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

FL188

Location:

Gallup

New Mexico

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8502

Captain / Total hours on type:

4160.00

Circumstances:

During the takeoff roll at Gallup-Senator Clark Airport, control was lost. The aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in flames in a ditch. Three passengers were injured while 13 other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Improper operation of brakes and/or flight controls during takeoff on part of the PIC. Inadequate supervision of flight on part of the PIC who failed to maintain directional control and failed to abort takeoff.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-Dk in Campo Largo

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

PP-YPT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ponta Grossa – Curitiba

MSN:

13488

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Curitiba-Afonso Pena Airport, the crew encountered an unexpected situation (technical problems) and decided to attempt an emergency landing in an open field located in Campo Largo, about 40 km west of the Curitiba Airport. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all 20 occupants escaped uninjured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Puerto Rico: 13 killed

Date & Time: Jul 4, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

TAM-07

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Riberalta – Cobija

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Riberalta to Cobija, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the region of Puerto Rico, State of Pando. The wreckage was found near the Rio Orthon River. All 13 occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL near Sablayan: 26 killed

Date & Time: Jun 29, 1966 at 1217 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PI-C17

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Manila – Mamburao – San Jose

MSN:

20573

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

PR785

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

4240

Captain / Total hours on type:

244.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

1777

Copilot / Total hours on type:

396

Circumstances:

Flight 785 was a scheduled domestic VFR flight from Manila to San Jose with an intermediate stop at Mamburao. The aircraft departed Manila at 1030 hours local time and arrived at Mamburao after an uneventful flight. It then took off from Mamburao at 1204 hours. At 1215 hours, the flight requested terminal weather information from San Jose Radio Station. The requested information was transmitted but was not acknowledged. A witness stated that at approximately that same time he had observed an aircraft flying at very low altitude towards the mountain on a heading of approximately 065° and that, soon after, the aircraft disappeared from sight, he heard a loud explosion coming from the mountains east of his position. Subsequent efforts of San Jose Radio Station to contact the flight on both VHF and HF frequencies proved unsuccessful. In the afternoon of 1 July 1966 the wreckage of the aircraft was found at 2,300 feet AMSL in a ravine at the northern slope of Mt Rabangan (altitude 3,500 feet) which is approximately midway between Mamburao and San Jos6 and approximately 10 nautical miles inland. Two passengers were seriously injured while 26 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The Board determined that the probable cause of the accident was misjudgement of the terrain clearance which resulted in the collision with trees. The instrument meteorological conditions en-route accompanied by severe turbulence and strong gusty winds over the crash site were a contributory factor. The weather and the sky condition at the time the airplane as seen over Sablayan was described as low thick dark clouds with strong wind and heavy rain. The actual weather in the vicinity of the crash site was substantially similar to the weather forecast that was conveyed to the pilot by the dispatcher during the weather briefing prior to the flight. Thirteen minutes after take-off the pilot encountered instrument meteorological conditions en-route under a VFR flight clearance.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL in Porto Nacional

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PP-YPK

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

MSN:

20181

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Suffered an accident at Porto Nacional Airport. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky in Ban Phakat: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jun 3, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-48925

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

14741/26186

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While operating a reconnaissance mission out from Ubon over the Khammouane Province of Laos, the airplane was seen to crash in flames near Ban Phakat. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Harding Eugene Smith,
Cpt Theodore Eugene Kryszak,
1st Lt Russell Dean Martin,
T/Sgt Harold Eugene Mullins,
T/Sgt Luther Lee Rose,
S/Sgt Ervin Warren.

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky near Ban Hai: 8 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-49546

Flight Phase:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Ubon Ratchathani - Ubon Ratchathani

MSN:

15362/26807

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

Spooky 10

Location:

Ban Hai

Xieng Khouang Province

Country:

Laos

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Ubon Ratchathani Airbase in Thailand on a reconnaissance mission over Laos under call sign 'Spooky 10'. While cruising at low height, the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and crashed in an isolated area located in the region of Ban Hai. Due to the situation, it was not possible to dispatch rescue teams and the wreckage was eventually found in August 1994 about 16 km southeast of Ban Hai.
Crew:
Maj George William Jensen,
Maj Lavern George Reilly,
Cpt Marshall Landis Tapp,
1st Lt George Winton Thompson,
S/Sgt James Arthur Preston,
Sgt James ellis Williams,
Sgt William Louis Madison,
A1C Kenneth Dewey McKenney.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK in Nagpur

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

VT-DDR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Positioning

Survivors: