Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Guatemala City

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1962
Operator:
Registration:
TG-APA
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
19454
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances at Guatemala City-La Aurora Airport. No casualties.

Ground accident of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Jakarta: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1962
Operator:
Registration:
PK-GDM
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
13731
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Kemayoran Airport in Jakarta. The exact circumstances of the occurrence remains unknown and three people were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-25-DK off Sorong

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1962
Operator:
Registration:
X-3
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Manokwari – Sorong
MSN:
15884/32632
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While descending to Sorong-Jefman Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with a cloud base at 500 feet. In such conditions, the crew was unable to locate the airport and decided to turn over the area to expect weather improvement. Due top fuel shortage and as the crew was unable to locate the airfield, the captain decided to ditch the aircraft east of the airport. All six crew members were rescued while the aircraft was lost.
Probable cause:
Ditching caused by fuel exhaustion due to poor weather conditions at destination.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-8 in Osaka

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1962
Operator:
Registration:
12445
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
43314
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing at Osaka-Itami Airport following technical problems in flight. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest. There were no casualties while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
It is reported the emergency situation was caused by a fuel contamination.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-30-DK near Seymour: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 6, 1962 at 1415 LT
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-DJC
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Cape Town – Oudtshoorn – George – Plettenberg Bay – Port Elizabeth – Grahamstown – Queenstown – Collondale
MSN:
16189/32937
YOM:
1945
Flight number:
SA512
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
9127
Captain / Total hours on type:
2484.00
Circumstances:
According to the copilot the aircraft flew below the clouds at about 300-500 ft above the ground. It was the pilot-in-command's intention to fly through the Katberg Pass below cloud and as the aircraft approached the mountains the cloud ceiling became lower and the pilot was faced with a critical situation. He called for METO (maximum except takeoff) power and in an attempt to clear the hills the right wing first made contact with the trees and then the right engine propeller cut into the rising ground. The aircraft came to rest against a rock face approximately 250 yd from the initial point of impact with the trees and approximately 500 ft from the top of the hill. Two crew members were killed while five other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to an error of judgement on the part of the pilot-in-command who attempted low visual flight, beneath the cloud base, near mountains in deteriorating weather conditions.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL in Marulanda: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 25, 1962 at 1435 LT
Operator:
Registration:
HK-502
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Manizales – Bogotá
MSN:
19653
YOM:
1944
Country:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
7579
Captain / Total hours on type:
3815.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
1435
Copilot / Total hours on type:
240
Circumstances:
Douglas C-47A, HK-502 was on a non-scheduled domestic flight from Manizales Airport (elevation 3,380 feet) to Bogotá (elevation 8,355 feet). The aircraft took off from Manizales Airport at 1404LT with 2 crew and a load of cargo aboard. At 1420LT HK-502 reported its position over San Felix at an altitude of 12,500 feet and that it estimated Cambao at 1433LT. At 1435LT HK-502 declared an emergency. The aircraft crashed into the mountain immediately after this radio transmission. The accident site was approximately 32 miles from Manizales on a bearing of 300°. The accident was reported by the Salamina authorities at 1440LT. Both occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was due to the faulty procedure on the part of the pilot who made the en route climb from Manizales to San Felix at a low altitude, so that the aircraft became trapped in a canyon and crashed in the San Felix pass at La Aguadita after stalling during a turn at 9,000 feet.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas SC-47A in Bảo Lộc: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1962
Operator:
Registration:
43-15732
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Saigon – Đà Nẵng
MSN:
20198
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a leaflet dropping mission from between Saigon and Đà Nẵng. The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area located near Bảo Lộc, killing all nine occupants.

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

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1962 at 1603 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-108992
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
McGuire – Philadelphie – Greensboro – Eglin
MSN:
13768
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The aircraft was completing a flight from McGuire AFB to Eglin AFB (Hulburt Field) in Florida with intermediate stops at Philadelphia and Greensboro. After its departure from runway 05 at Greensboro-High Point Airport, while climbing to a height of 150-200 feet, the airplane stalled and crashed in flames 1,000 feet past the runway end. The aircraft was partially destroyed by a post crash fire and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt R. J. Rice, pilot,
Cpt David L. Murphy, copilot,
Cpt Thomas D. Carter, navigator,
T/Sgt Bernard P. Terrien, flight engineer.
Passengers:
1st Lt. D. J. Hughes,
Cpt Robert H. Sanford,
T/Sgt Preston Presley.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL Skytrain near Helena: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1962 at 1530 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-100861
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Helena – Cut Bank
MSN:
19324
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On behalf of the Montana Air National Guard, the aircraft departed Helena Airport bound for Cut Bank, carrying a crew of three and three members of the Montana Government who were en route to a speaking engagement. Weather conditions worsened and the crew encountered heavy winds and snow falls. Control was lost and the airplane crashed in the Wolf Creek Canyon located about 25 miles north of Helena. The aircraft was destroyed and all six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maj Clifford Hanson, pilot,
Maj Joseph Devine, copilot,
M/Sgt Charles Ballard, mechanic.
Passengers:
Donald Grant Nutter, Governor of Montana,
Dennis Gordon, executive secretary,
Edward Wren, commissioner of agriculture.
Probable cause:
Winds exceeding 100 mph sheared off one of the wings of the plane, causing it to crash in Wolf Creek Canyon north of Helena.