Crash of a Douglas DC-3-227B in Arques: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 23, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
OO-AUI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
2094
YOM:
1938
Location:
Arques
Pas-de-Calais
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a flight from Brussels to the British Isles. While overflying the region of Merville, the aircraft was hit by the German Flak. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in a field located near Arques and was destroyed by a post crash fire. The pilot and the navigator were killed while both other crew members and both passengers became PoW.
Crew:
Sgt Raymond Chartier, pilot, †
Capt John M.H. Hoare, navigator, †
P/O Benson Freeman,
Pier Vrebos, engineer.
Source: http://luchtvaartgeschiedenis.be/
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-191 off Point Reyes: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1938 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC16066
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Seattle – Portland – Medford – Sacramento – Oakland – San Francisco – Fresno – Bakersfield – Los Angeles – San Diego
MSN:
1906
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
UA006
Location:
Point Reyes
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
8649
Captain / Total hours on type:
442.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3284
Copilot / Total hours on type:
291
Circumstances:
While flying at night, the crew failed to realize that he was following the wrong track to Oakland and was now over the sea. Both engines failed in flight, forcing the pilot to ditch the airplane off Point Reyes. Five occupants were killed, among them two crew members. The captain and a passenger survived.
Crew:
Charles B. Stead, pilot,
Lloyd E. Jones, copilot, †
Frona B. Clay, stewardess. †
Probable cause:
Failure of the pilot to definitely establish the position of the aircraft through standard orientation procedures within a reasonable time after intersecting a leg of the Oakland radio range at 0317LT, and of company flight dispatchers, charged with the responsibilities of directing the operation of the trip, to properly safeguard the flight, resulting in forced landing of the aircraft at sea due to exhausted fuel supply.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194D in Amsterdam: 6 killed

Date & Time: Nov 14, 1938 at 1841 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
PH-ARY
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Berlin – Amsterdam
MSN:
2021
YOM:
1938
Location:
Amsterdam-Schiphol
North Holland
Country:
Netherlands
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On approach to Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport at night, the aircraft named 'Ijsvogel' impacted the ground at full power, slid for 125 metres and came to rest across a ditch. The aircraft was destroyed. Four crew members and two passengers were killed while 13 other occupants were injured.
Crew:
J. J. E. Duimelaar, pilot, †
A. van Gemeren, copilot, †
A. J. van Huut, engineer, †
C. J. W. Surber, radio operator, †
B. Eys, steward.
Passengers:
R. G. Clyman,
W. A. Fairclough,
L. St. C. Ingrams,
J. Miller,
M. Schneider Desnitzky-Kirchbach, †
A. Silberstein,
M. Silberstein,
I. V. Weideman,
P. O. H. Weideman,
B. Weideman-Marx, †
F. Winter,
M. Winter,
F. Zimmerman.
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. No evidence was found of any preimpact mechanical failure and the weather conditions were not considered as a contributory factor. The crash may have been caused by a crew 'error'.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1938
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Khabarovsk Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew of the DC-3, among them Head of Staff Lisikov, was taking part to a SAR mission after a Tupolev ANT-37bis (TB-3) registered CCCP-N037 and named 'Rodina' was missing in the region of Komsomolsk-on-Amur. While cruising in formation with another TB-3, the pilot made a mistake, causing the DC-3 to struck the top of the empennage of the TB-3. The DC-3 entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed. All five occupants were killed. The fate of the other aircraft is unknown.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3B-202 DST in Albuquerque

Date & Time: Aug 24, 1938 at 0233 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC17316
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Burbank – Winslow – Albuquerque – Amarillo – Wichita – Kansas City
MSN:
1931
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
TW410
Location:
Albuquerque
New Mexico
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
495
Captain / Total hours on type:
134.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
942
Copilot / Total hours on type:
126
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, the crew encountered problems with the left engine that suffered severe vibrations and partially failed. At a height of a about 100 feet, the airplane rolled 5° to the left. The captain decided to return to the airport but realized this was impossible. He took the decision to reduce his altitude and to attempt an emergency landing in a field. While contacting the ground, the aircraft slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest. All 11 occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Harold Hess, pilot,
Bronson White, copilot,
Olga C. Harbaugh, stewardess.
Probable cause:
Excessive vibration and loss of power, due to malfunctioning of left engine, consulting in insufficient speed to sustain the aircraft in flight. The cause of the malfunctioning of the left engine being undetermined, recommendations, which would tend to prevent similar accidents in the future, cannot be made at this time.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-228 in Morón: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1938 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC18114
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
Morón – Asunción
MSN:
1990
YOM:
1937
Location:
Morón AFB
Buenos Aires province
Country:
Argentina
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, one of the engine failed. The crew elected to return to the airport and initiated a turn when the aircraft stalled, impacted the roof of the local hospital and crashed in trees. All 13 occupants were rescued while one person in the hospital was killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure shortly after takeoff.

Crash of a Douglas DST-A-207A in Cleveland: 10 killed

Date & Time: May 24, 1938 at 2217 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC18108
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Newark – Cleveland – Chicago
MSN:
1956
YOM:
1937
Flight number:
UA009
Location:
Cleveland
Ohio
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Captain / Total flying hours:
12000
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on approach to Cleveland Airport when the right engine fired. While cruising at an altitude of 4,000 feet, the crew attempted to make an emergency landing when control was lost. The aircraft crashed in a wooded area located 14 km from the airport and was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
James L. Brandon, pilot,
Austin S. Merrifield, copilot,
Fildred A., stewardess.
Passengers:
John Rodd Hoffett,
Elling M. Veblen,
Ralph Parker Morrell,
John K. Brostuen,
Richard Charles Lewis,
Charles T. Lickel,
L. Arthur Doty.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Investigating Board that the probable cause of this accident was a fire in the right engine accessory section which resulted from the failure of a cylinder barrel and was fed from the right engine oil supply.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-197 near Knight: 19 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1937 at 2100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC16074
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Newark – Chicago – Cheyenne – Salt Lake City – Los Angeles
MSN:
1914
YOM:
1936
Flight number:
UA001
Location:
Knight
Wyoming
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Captain / Total flying hours:
11000
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3500
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 10,000 feet at night and in bad weather conditions, the pilot tried to contact ATC without any success. He could not receive any signal from the regional beacons and decided to continue ahead to Salt Lake City Airport. Few minutes later, in low visibility, the aircraft impacted the slope of Haydens Peak located 81 km east from Salt Lake City and 32 km southwest from Knight. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 19 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Earl D. Woodgerd, pilot,
John B. Adams, copilot,
Leah Derr, stewardess.
Passengers:
George Ferreira,
Phyllis Ferreira,
Louis Cleaver,
Ralph McKeown,
John Conroy,
Charles D. Renouf,
W. Pischell,
William Pitt,
J. Percola,
Mrs. C. Pritchett,
D. A. McMillan,
Mrs. J. Hammer,
W. J. Hart,
Charles Jamison,
C. L. Jensen,
Dr. L. Gross.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Investigating Board that the probable cause of this accident was a combination of the following three factors:
- Static conditions encountered in the last portion of the flight which rendered the reception of radio range signals unintelligible,
- The continuation of the flight into mountainous country at an altitude below of higher mountains without the aid of ground visibility or radio signals to definitely identify position,
- A change in the weather caused by the approach of an unpredicted cold front.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-194B in Palembang: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1937 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
PH-ALS
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Batavia – Palembang – Singapore – Bangkok – Ruţbah Wells – Cairo – Amsterdam
MSN:
1940
YOM:
1937
Location:
Palembang-Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II
South Sumatra
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Palembang-Talang Airport, while in initial climb, the left engine failed. The crew elected to return for a safe landing when the aircraft named 'Specht' stalled, impacted trees and crashed nose first. The cockpit was destroyed and three crew members were killed instantly, only the copilot survived. A passenger was killed as well.
Crew:
F.M. Stork, pilot, †
H. J. Groeneveld, copilot,
J. J. Ruben, engineer, †
J. J. Stodieck, radio. †
Passengers:
T. Bouwman,
B. Huberman,
I. Ibbeken,
A. E. Munroe,
H. C. Schoch,
F. Smissaert,
G. A. van Steenbergen. †
Probable cause:
Failure of the left engine after takeoff due the failure of a connecting rod.
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