Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

G-AGBB

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Lisbon – Bristol

MSN:

1590

YOM:

1936

Flight number:

2L777

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Lisbon-Portela de Sacavém at 0730LT on a regular schedule flight to Bristol-Whitchurch Airport. While cruising over the Bay of Biscay, the aircraft was intercepted and shot down by eight German Junkers JU.88 fighters. The civil aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea some 350 km north of La Coruna. All 17 occupants, among them the British actor Leslie Howard, were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Quirinus Tepas Obe, pilot,
Cpt Dirk de Koning, pilot,
Cornelis van Brugge, radio operator,
Engbertus Rosevink, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Leslie Howard,
Alfred T. Chenhalls,
Kenneth Stonehouse,
Evelyn Peggy Margetts Stonehouse,
Rotha Hutcheon
Petra Hutcheon,
Carolina Hutcheon,
Cecelia Emilia Falla Paton,
Tyrrell Mildmay Shervington,
Ivan James Sharp,
Wilfrid Israel,
Francis German Cowlrick,
Gordon Thompson MacLean.

Probable cause:

Shot down by German fighters. Theories abound that the aircraft, a Douglas DC-3, was attacked because the Germans believed that British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was aboard. Other theories suggest the DC-3 was targeted because several passengers, including Howard, were British spies. During the Second World War, British and German civilian aircraft operated out of the same facilities at Portela and the incoming and outgoing traffic was watched by Allied and Axis spies. The Lisbon - Bristol route frequently carried agents and escaped PoWs to Britain.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-196 in Saratov: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1943 at 1615 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

URSS-B

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Baku – Astrakhan – Saratov – Moscow

MSN:

2035

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew decided to take off in the direction of rising ground as there was some side wind in the normal takeoff direction. The aircraft lifted off close to the end of the runway, made a turn at low height and low speed in order to come clear of the hill ahead, stalled, came down and collided with an earth wall. The copilot was killed while all 19 other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

Wrong decision on part of the crew who decided to takeoff from the wrong runway considering the wind direction (11 km/h cross wind). The reaction of the copilot during the initial climb was erroneous and the supervision of the captain was inappropriate.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota II in Agartala

Date & Time: Mar 25, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

MA928

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4931

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on take off for unknown reason. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-232A in Melbourne

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VH-ACB

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Melbourne – Sydney – Brisbane

MSN:

2030

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Melbourne-Essendon Airport, the crew encountered technical problems with the engines. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the captain decided to make an emergency landing and completed a gear-up landing 7 km north of the airport. The aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest and was damaged beyond repair. All 15 occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was christened 'Warana'.

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by carburetor problems.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-399 in Cháparra: 14 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1943 at 1515 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

NC33645

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Santiago de Chile – Arequipa – Lima

MSN:

4124

YOM:

1941

Flight number:

PAG009

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1437

Captain / Total hours on type:

1151.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

722

Copilot / Total hours on type:

280

Aircraft flight hours:

3179

Circumstances:

Fifty-five minutes after its departure from Arequipa Airport, while cruising at an altitude of 13,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit the side of a mountain located near Cháparra. Extensive emergency resources were dispatched to the scene where a seriously injured passenger was evacuated while fourteen other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Gordon W. Gardner, pilot,
Robert W. Turbyne, copilot,
James T. Ewing, radio operator,
Jorge Alvarez, purser.

Probable cause:

Action of the pilot in continuing the flight on instruments in the overcast, contrary to company flight procedure of which, according to the evidence, the pilot was aware. Investigations also highlighted some shortcomings by the company, whose lack of control of its operation remains a contributing factor.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-197 in Oakland

Date & Time: Jan 11, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

NC16090

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Oakland - Oakland

MSN:

1929

YOM:

1937

Location:

Oakland

California

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was conducting a training exercise on behalf of the USAAF. While flying in the vicinity of the Oakland Municipal Airport, the aircraft caught fire for unknown reason. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing but the aircraft crashed in flames and was destroyed by fire. Both occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-191 near Fairfield: 17 killed

Date & Time: Dec 15, 1942 at 0122 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

NC16060

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Salt Lake City – Las Vegas – Burbank

MSN:

1900

YOM:

1936

Flight number:

WA013

Location:

Fairfield

Utah

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

2885

Captain / Total hours on type:

533.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

596

Copilot / Total hours on type:

126

Aircraft flight hours:

14773

Circumstances:

While cruising at the assigned altitude of 10,000 feet, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a field located near Fairfield, Utah. The rescuers arrived on the scene around 1125LT and were able to evacuate two passengers seriously injured while 17 other occupants were killed. It appears that the aircraft reached a wrong attitude and lost part of its wings and stabilizer prior to be out of control.
Crew:
Edward John Loeffler, pilot,
James Clifton Lee, copilot,
Douglas Mortimer Soule, copilot,
Cleo Lorraine Booth, stewardess.

Probable cause:

On the basis of all of the facts, conditions and circumstances known to the Board at this time, it is concluded that failure of the left, or possibly both wing tips, and of the horizontal tail surfaces occurred in the air during a severe pull-up. However, no definite conclusion can be drawn from the evidence as to whether the pull-up was caused by operation of the controls by the crew, or by some other forces beyond their control. Due to the lack of any plausible theory for the latter, it seems more probable that the maneuver was initiated by the crew, possibly in an attempt to avoid collision with a bird, another aircraft, or some object which they saw or thought they saw.
Probable cause:
Failure of the left, or possibly both wing tips and of the horizontal tail surfaces as a result of a sever pull-up which caused unusual and abnormally high air loads. The reason the pull-up maneuver was not determined.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194F in Madrid

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

D-ABBF

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: