Crash of a Douglas C-47 off Brindisi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
MM61770
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Brindisi
Apulia
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Brindisi Airport, while climbing, the airplane crashed into the sea few dozen yards off shore. SAR were conducted but eventually suspended three days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was finally located in a depth of 18 meters about 1,8 km off shore.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-8 at Byrd Station

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1960
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
17154
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
43373
YOM:
1944
Location:
Byrd Station
All Antarctica
Country:
Antarctica
Region:
Antarctica
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in whiteout conditions while attempting to land at Byrd Station on a supply mission. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK near Taksing: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1960 at 1040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CGG
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Jorhat - Taksing - Jorhat
MSN:
12821
YOM:
1944
Location:
Taksing
Arunachal Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Aircraft flight hours:
17868
Circumstances:
The crew left Jorhat on a supply mission to Taksing, Arunachal Pradesh. Following a navigation error, the aircraft went into a narrow valley and the captain, not familiarized with the region, made a turn to leave the area when the airplane stalled and crashed in a mountainous terrain. The aircraft was destroyed and all nine occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to an error of navigation which caused the pilot to enter a wrong valley. During an attempt to turn back in a restricted area, the aircraft stalled and crashed. The fact that this was the pilot's first flight to this dropping zone, and he was not familiar with the terrain, contributed to the accident.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL in San Jose de Chiquitos: 11 killed

Date & Time: Dec 31, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
CP-584
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
San José de Chiquitos – La Paz
MSN:
19226
YOM:
1943
Location:
San José de Chiquitos
Santa Cruz
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
Crashed few minutes after takeoff from San José de Chiquitos. The airplane was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Palembang: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 24, 1959 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
PK-GDV
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Palembang – Jakarta
MSN:
13535
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
GA330
Location:
Palembang
South Sumatra
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
About 13 minutes after takeoff from Palembang Airport, the crew reported the failure of the right engine and elected to return for a safe landing. In marginal weather conditions, the captain descended through the clouds with a rate of 300 feet per minute and after passing the last cloud layer, the aircraft banked right and crashed in a swampy area located 5 km short of runway threshold. A pilot was killed while the second crew was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine, a lack of precaution on the part of the captain and marginal weather. A contributing factor may have been the overloaded condition of the aircraft, however, not to such an extent that it forced the aircraft to descend to a dangerously low altitude.

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

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
2060
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
20074
YOM:
1944
Location:
Cumuruxatiba
Bahia
Country:
Brazil
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Cumuruxatiba while conducting a training mission. All six crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas VC-47D near Oslo: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-49024
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
14840/26285
YOM:
1944
Location:
Oslo
Oslo City
Country:
Norway
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances 16 km north of Oslo while cruising in foggy conditions. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Maiquetía: 3 killed

Date & Time: Dec 1, 1959 at 1111 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
YV-C-AKU
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Maiquetía – Maiquetía
MSN:
4581
YOM:
1942
Location:
Caracas-Maiquetía-Simón Bolívar
Vargas
Country:
Venezuela
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was in charge to perform a local test flight out from Maiquetía-Simon Bolivar Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the crew informed ATC about technical problems with the right engine and obtained the permission to return for an emergency landing. Shortly later, the airplane crashed on Mt Playa Grande near the airport. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by an overspeeding propeller followed by failure of the starboard engine.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Hong Kong

Date & Time: Nov 15, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
L2-28/02
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Hong Kong - Bangkok
MSN:
20794
YOM:
1944
Location:
Hong Kong-Kai Tak
Hong Kong
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While taxiing, the airplane veered off taxiway and plunged into the bay of Kowloon. There were no injuries but the aircraft was written off. The exact date of the occurrence remains uncertain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Tainan: 15 killed

Date & Time: Nov 7, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-93074
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Tainan – Clark
MSN:
12945
YOM:
1944
Location:
Tainan
Tainan City (臺南市)
Country:
Taiwan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Tainan Airport, en route to Clark AFB in the Philippines, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all 15 occupants.
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