Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

90400

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

27306

YOM:

1945

Location:

Stephenville

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crash landed in unknown circumstances. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-3 in Stephenville

Date & Time: May 30, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

56532

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

22152

YOM:

1945

Location:

Stephenville

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crash landed in Stephenville-Ernest Harmon Airport, apparently following technical problems. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-54E-5-DO Skymaster in Heroldishausen: 1 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1949 at 1659 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-9086

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wiesbaden – Berlin

MSN:

27312

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Wiesbaden-Erbenheim to Berlin-Tempelhof, taking part to the Berlin Airlift, an engine caught fire. The captain ordered his crew and both passengers to bail out. After these four people evacuated the cabin, he reduced his altitude in an attempt to make an emergency landing in a field. Unfortunately, the aircraft crashed in flames in a field located in Heroldishausen, northwest of Bad Langensalza. The aircraft was destroyed and the captain was killed. The four other occupants were uninjured.

Probable cause:

It was determined that an hydraulic line failed in flight, causing the fluid to flow into the engine and to catch fire while contacting high temperature parts of the engine.

Crash of a Douglas C-54E-5-DO Skymaster in Celle AFB

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-9062

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Celle

MSN:

27288

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Celle AFB, while on a cargo flight from Berlin, the aircraft suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed in flames. All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed. It was taking part to the Berlin Airlift.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas R5D-2 in Oberpfaffenhofen

Date & Time: Feb 15, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

90386

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

18372

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft belly landed and skidded for several yards before coming to rest in flames. All occupants were quickly rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew did not follow the approach procedures and forgot to lower the undercarriage.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-1-DO Skymaster in Castel Benito: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1949

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-AJPL

Flight Phase:

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Castel Benito (Qaser Bin Ghashir)

Schedule:

Nairobi – Khartoum – Tripoli – London

MSN:

7464

YOM:

1944

Location:

Tripoli (طرابلس)

Country:

Libya

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The descent to Tripoli-Castel Benito Airport was completed in poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls and a visibility reduced to two miles. On final approach at an altitude of 700 feet, both right engines stopped simultaneously. The pilot lost control of the aircraft that stalled and crashed in a wooded area located few miles short of runway. Fifteen occupants were injured while 37 others were unarmed. Unfortunately, a crew member was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the captain to maintain a safe height by using available power on both left engines after the failure of both right engines. The reason for this failure by the captain could not be determined. The failure of both right engines was caused by a fuel starvation due to an insufficient amount of fuel in the right tank. This fuel shortage was the result of the wing tanks being allowed to become progressively unbalanced during the last stage of the flight. An attempt by the flight engineer under emergency conditions to cross feed the right engines from the left tanks failed owing to the full operation not having been completed in time.

Crash of a Douglas C-54G-15-DO Skymaster near Fassberg: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1949 at 1330 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

45-0563

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Fassberg

MSN:

36016

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Fassberg Airport, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located 10 km from the runway 27 threshold. A crew member was killed while two others were seriously injured. They were performing a cargo flight from Berlin, taking part to the Berlin Airlift.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-5-DC Skymaster in Frankfurt: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 12, 1949 at 0005 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-72629

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Frankfurt

MSN:

10734

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During the final approach completed by night, the four engine aircraft crashed 4 km short of the runway threshold. All three crew members were killed. They were performing a cargo flight from Berlin, taking part to the Berlin Airlift.

Crash of a Douglas C-54G-5-DO Skymaster in Garstang: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1949 at 1645 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

45-0543

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: