Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

A65-92

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

MSN:

16139/32887

YOM:

1945

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Circumstances:

The crew was involved in a navigation exercise on behalf of the 38th Squadron. On approach to Wau, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances in the jungle. All eight crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Puri

Date & Time: Aug 28, 1960

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Shot down by Naga rebels and crashed in a field. All occupants became prisoners.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Tipuani: 6 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

TAM-09

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

La Paz – Tipuani

MSN:

9030

YOM:

1943

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On approach to Tipuani, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Hayti. The wreckage was found few hours later and all six occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK near Jimma: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1960 at 1240 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

ET-T-18

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bulki – Jimma

MSN:

12926

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

ET372

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Aircraft flight hours:

13674

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Bulki at 1204LT on a flight to Jimma, carrying a crew of three, eight passengers and a load of coffee. On approach, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and as the airplane was too low, it struck the slope of a mountain located about 27 km south of the airfield. Ten occupants were injured while one of the pilot was killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by the following:
- The pilot misjudged the weather conditions in that he continued to fly into deteriorating weather conditions while trying to maintain visual flight rules,
- He misjudged the performance capabilities of the aircraft in that he attempted to climb at a speed below the minimum safe climbing speed of the aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL off Cotabato City

Date & Time: Jul 14, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

PI-C16

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Dipolog – Zamboanga City

MSN:

13908

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

While descending to Zamboanga City Airport, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew was instructed by ATC to divert to Davao City located 400 km east to their actual position. The crew modified his itinerary and while flying over the Moro Gulf, both engines failed. The captain reduced his altitude and ditched the aircraft about 40 km off Cotabato City. All 31 occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Probable cause:

It was determined that both engines failed due to fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-50-DK near Quito: 18 killed

Date & Time: Jul 11, 1960 at 1145 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

45-1109

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Humanitarian

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bogotá – Quito

MSN:

17112/34379

YOM:

1945

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Circumstances:

The USAF C-47 was performing a humanitarian flight from Bogotá to Quito-Mariscal Sucre Airport on behalf of the US Mission. While descending to the airport at an altitude of 13,000 feet, the crew encountered low visibility due to clouds when the airplane struck the slope of Mt Pichincha. The wreckage was found few hours later and all 18 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

The crew continued the approach under VFR mode in IFR conditions.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL off Sharjah: 20 killed

Date & Time: Jul 10, 1960 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VT-DGS

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Bahraïn – Doha – Sharjah

MSN:

4273

YOM:

1941

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Circumstances:

The Gulf Aviation DC-3 operated on a return flight from Bahrain to Sharjah via Doha. The DC-3 took off from Doha at 05:16 GMT following a 30-minute stopover. The DC-3 was cleared for FL70 and reported to Bahrain ATC at 06:04 that it was in contact with Sharjah, ETA being 06:45. Last radio contact was one minute later when the flight reported to Sharjah. The pilot of a de Havilland Heron plane, approaching Sharjah at FL50 reported hearing the DC-3 crew trying to contact Sharjah three times. These calls were not heard by Sharjah control and the airplane crashed into the sea off Sharjah in unknown circumstances. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended a week later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 20 occupants was ever found.

Probable cause:

Due to lack of evidences, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. It can only be a matter of conjecture as the wreckage was not located. All possible factors were explored, but none appeared plausible. Absence of radio communication between the aircraft and Sharjah after the initial contact and the absence of any distress call might have led to the tentative conclusion that the aircraft had met with a catastrophic disaster while still over the sea. However, the interception of a radio call from the aircraft at about its expected time of arrive at Sharjah and the considerable tailwind on the route seem to indicate the possibility that the aircraft overflew Sharjah under conditions of poor visibility. It is noteworthy that the ETA given by the aircraft as 0642 did not allow for any appreciable tailwind component which was indicated by the evidence of the Heron pilot. Not accounting for this factor could have resulted in the aircraft's descent on its ETA into high ground to the east of Sharjah. It may also explain the inability of Sharjah, to receive any message which may have been transmitted on VHF. However, the NDB at Sharjah was fully operational during the period of the subject flight and should have indicated to the pilot that Sharjah had been overflown unless the ADF system in the aircraft was mishandled or suffered a multiple failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in San José: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1960

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

TI-1023

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

San José - Los Chiles

Location:

San José

San José (Central Valley)

Country:

Costa Rica

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from San José-Juan Santamaria Airport, while climbing, the airplane stalled and crashed in a coffee plantation. A passenger was killed while 12 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Source and photos: http://jotape-tangoindia.blogspot.ch/

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-15-DK near Calabozo: 13 killed

Date & Time: Apr 28, 1960 at 0822 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

YV-C-AFE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: