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

The crew obtained a special ferry permit and departed Goodyear-Litchfield Airport (five miles away) bound for Litchfield Park. On approach, smoke spread in the cockpit and after a normal touchdown, the crew vacated the runway via a taxiway and stopped the aircraft. While the crew evacuated safely, the airplane was totally destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Powerplant-fuel fed engine fire for undetermined reason. Fire pattern indicated started in accessory section.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-85-DL in Laos

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

L2-18/00

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Chiang Mai - Udorn

MSN:

20053

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was reported missing whilst en route from Chiang Mai to Udorn. It became lost and is reported to have crashed in northeastern Laos. Flight mechanic Prapan Siri-on was released from a Vietnamese PoW camp in March 1973 and claimed the C-47 had been shot down near Quang Biu. The fate of the remaining crew is unclear.
Source: ASN

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D Spooky near A Rơh: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-49268

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Đà Nẵng - Đà Nẵng

MSN:

15084/26529

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Đà Nẵng on a reconnaissance mission. Contact was lost few minutes after takeoff but it is believed the airplane was shot down by enemy fire and probably crashed in an isolated area located in the region of A Rơh, near the Laotian border, about 80 km southwest of Đà Nẵng. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
Cpt Howard William Henninger,
Cpt Robert Edward Pasekoff,
Cpt Gerald Everett Olson,
S/Sgt Marshall Irvin Pauley,
S/Sgt Gene Edmond Davis,
T/Sgt Edwin Everton Morgan,
Sgt Dean Arnold Duvall.

Probable cause:

It is believed the aircraft has been shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas AC-47D in the Shau Valley: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 9, 1966 at 1300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

44-76290

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Đà Nẵng - Đà Nẵng

MSN:

15874/32622

YOM:

1945

Flight number:

Spooky 70

Location:

Shau Valley

Thừa Thiên–Huế Province

Country:

Vietnam

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew departed Đà Nẵng Airport on a supply mission to the A Shau Special Forces Camp. While flying at low height, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire. The right engine was on fire and later detached. The pilot-in-command elected to make an emergency landing in the valley. Three crew members were able to evacuate the area while three others were killed by enemy soldiers.
Crew:
Cpt Willard Marioins Collins, †
1st Lt Delbert Ray Peterson, †
1st Lt J. L. Meek,
S/Sgt J. G. Brown,
S/Sgt Robert Eugene Foster, †
S/Sgt J. Turner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas LC-47J at Byrd Station: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

50832

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

McMurdo Sound - Byrd Station

MSN:

14938/26383

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a flight from McMurdo Sound to Byrd Station, carrying a load of 18 fuel drums and a crew of wix who were in charge to pick up scientists at Byrd Station. The approach was performed in poor weather conditions with limited visibility when, at a height of 200 feet, the airplane banked right and crashed in flames. All six occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-1 near Yaoundé: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Central African Air Force - Escadrille Centrafricaine

Registration:

TL-KAA

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Douala – Yaoundé

MSN:

9124

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances while descending to Yaoundé Airport, killing all three crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL near Vi Thanh

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1966 at 0740 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

B-929

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Saigon – Vi Thanh

MSN:

19496

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Vi Thanh Airfield, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crash landed in an open field located 18 km north of the city. All three occupants escaped the accident but both pilots were executed by North Vietnam soldiers while the passenger was interned.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK on Mt Chelmos: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1966

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

42-93090

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Izmir – Naples

MSN:

12963

YOM:

1944

Location:

Mt Chelmos

Peloponnese / Πελοπόννησος

Country:

Greece

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a flight from Izmir to Naples, Italy, and while cruising over the Peloponnese province, he failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located in the Chelmos Mountain Range, some 50 km southeast of Patras. The wreckage was found two days later and four occupants were seriously injured while six others were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Chipaque: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1966 at 1822 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

FAC-675

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bogotá – Barranca de Upía – San Pedro de Arimena – Orocué – San Luis de Palenque – Aguazul – Monterrey – Paz de Ariporo – Cravo Norte – Coroza – Tame – Bogotá

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was completing a special flight out from Bogotá and return on behalf of the Bank of Bogotá, carrying people from isolated area. Following stopover in Barranca de Upía, San Pedro de Arimena, Orocué, San Luis de Palenque, Aguazul, Monterrey, Paz de Ariporo, Cravo Norte, Coroza and Tame, the aircraft was returning to the capital city with nine passengers and two pilots on board. About eight minutes before the ETA at El Dorado Airport, the airplane struck the slope of a mountain located near Chipaque. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.

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