Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Darbhanga Aviation

Registration:

VT-DEM

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Calcutta – Bālurghāt

MSN:

13792/25237

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

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Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport, while in initial climb, the port engine failed. The aircraft pitched up, stalled and eventually crashed in a coconut grove located about one km from the airfield. All three crew members and two passengers were killed while six other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the probable cause of the accident was as follow:
- Delay in feathering after failure of the port engine (due to inexperience of the pilot in emergency procedures), which resulted in a loss of height,
- the subsequent attempt to establish a climb with a nose-high attitude (to get over the obstructions), below the recommended single-engine rate of climb speed, with both gear and flaps up,
- the progressive loss of airspeed which finally resulted in a stall on a coconut tree. Although there is no doubt that the profuse smoke emanating from the port engine was due to the failure of the engine, it was not possible to determine the primary cause of that failure.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Đồng Hới

Date & Time: Apr 25, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BCYJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4572

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

On approach to Đồng Hới Airport, an engine failed. The crew decided to attempt an emergency landing but the aircraft crash landed in a field located in Nam Bắc, about 4 km north of the airfield. Both crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure on approach.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK near Amaná: 25 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1954 at 2130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

LV-ACX

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Mendoza – Córdoba

MSN:

12387

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft, engaged on a scheduled flight between Mendoza and Córdoba, left Mendoza-El Plumerillo Airport at 1847LT with a crew of 4 and 21 passengers on board. At 2026LT the crew reported that he was diverting to La Rioja Airport as it was impossible to approach Córdoba due to poor weather conditions with heavy turbulences. At 2125Lt the crew reported to ATC about an ETA at La Rioja at 2140LT. Shortly later, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Sierra de Vilgo, near the village of Amaná. The wreckage was found three days later and all 25 occupants have been killed.

Probable cause:

For reasons which could not be determined the aircraft deviated from the prescribed route and followed a course which led it to crash in mountainous terrain. A contributing factor was the pilot-in-command's decision to descend below the minimum altitude specified for weather conditions requiring an instrument approach, contrary to the provisions of the Airline Operations Manual. A probable contributing factor was the probable fatigue of the aircraft crew.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Batuco: 14 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1954 at 1310 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

956

Flight Phase:

Región Metropolitana de Santiago

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Santiago – Iquique

MSN:

4470

YOM:

1942

Location:

Batuco

Country:

Chile

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Santiago Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in Batuco, about 16 km north of the airfield. All 14 occupants were killed. The airplane was performing a flight from Santiago to Iquique, carrying 9 passengers, a crew of five and 2,5 tons of meat on behalf of the national carrier LAN Chile.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Rome

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1954 at 1730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

I-LENT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Rome - Rome

MSN:

4548

YOM:

1942

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

Juts after liftoff, while climbing, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crash landed on the runway. All four crew members who were involved in a local training mission were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure just after rotation.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL near Adana: 25 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1954 at 1340 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

TC-ARK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Mediterranean Region (Akdeniz Bölgesi)

Schedule:

Adana – Ankara

MSN:

19509

YOM:

1944

Location:

Adana

Country:

Turkey

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Less than ten minutes after takeoff from Adana Airport, while climbing, the airplane exploded in midair and crashed in the Kurttepe Mountain Range located northwest of the city. Debris were scattered on an area of about 15 km and all 25 occupants were killed, among them the Turkish Archaeologist Remzi Oğuz Arık. The exact cause of the explosion remains unknown.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK off Mackay: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1954 at 0420 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VH-BBV

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mackay – Rockhampton

MSN:

12360

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

One minute after its takeoff from Mackay Airport, while climbing by night, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and plunged into the sea off Mackay. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were killed. The crew was completing a cargo flight from Mackay to Rockhampton, carrying a load of newspapers.

Probable cause:

The assumption that the loss of control was the result of a bird strike was not ruled out.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Phônsavan

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BCYI

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4502

YOM:

1942

Location:

Phônsavan

Xieng Khouang Province

Country:

Laos

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

On approach to Phônsavan Airport, the twin engine aircraft was shot down by enemy fire and crashed few km from the airfield. All three crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-45-DL near Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée: 20 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1954 at 1430 LT

Type of aircraft: