Douglas DC-4

While cruising at an altitude of 12,000 feet in marginal weather conditions, the four engine airplane stuck the slope of a mountain located near El Libano, about 140 km north of Bogotá. All three crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded in clouds.

On final approach to runway 29 at Gemena Airport, during the last segment, the four engine airplane lost height and struck the ground 100 meters short of runway threshold. The airplane went out of control and crash landed. There were no casualties while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after a night takeoff from Gaborone-Seretse Khama Airport, the crew encountered problems with all four engines that lost power and backfired. Unable to gain sufficient height, the aircraft struck tree tops, stalled and crashed in flames 3,600 meters past the runway end, two minutes after liftoff. A crew member and five passengers were rescued while 78 other occupants were killed. Most of the passengers were employees of South African Mining Company returning home.

The four engine aircraft was destroyed by fire at Lago Agrio Airport. The mishap occurred in unknown circumstances at an unknown date during 1969. Some unofficial reports says the fire was intentionally set.

While on a cargo flight from Halifax to Santa Maria, Azores Islands, the four engine aircraft crashed into the Atlantic Ocean. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the three crew members was found.

Shortly after liftoff, while climbing to a height of 100 feet, one of the engine caught fire and exploded. The airplane stalled and crashed in a prairie located about 720 meters past the runway end. Three crew members and 39 passengers were killed, among them Albert Sylla, the Malagasy Minister of Foreign Affairs. The three crew members who were killed were Mr. Chevrier, captain, Mr. Turin, mechanic and Mr. Goirand, radio navigator.

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Algiers to Tamanrasset with intermediate stops in Ghardaïa, Hassi Messaoud, In Amenas and Djanet. It was scheduled that some tourists should embark at Djanet Airport but for unknown reason, no one embarked or disembarked at Djanet. While approaching Tamanrasset Airport by night, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane struck a mountain slope located 8 km from the airport and exploded. The wreckage was found about 300 meters below the summit and the aircraft was completely destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Four passengers were seriously injured (two Algerians and two Swiss) while all 35 other occupants were killed, among them Swiss and French tourists.
The Swiss citizens killed were:
Peter Messikommer,
Reinhard Wyss,
Hans Grieshaber,
Christina Grieshaber,
Wilhelm Leisinger,
Othmar Lienhard,
Fritz Matter,
Emma Holenstein,
Jacques Bachmann,
Werner Luethy,
Raymond Dorner,
Gilberte Dorner,
Anne-Marie Lombard,
Michel Sechy,
Mrs. Sechy,
Juerg Sechy.
Those who survived were:
Jacques Lombard,
Aurelio Fogacci.

Flight 870 was a scheduled domestic cargo flight from Bogotá-El Dorado International Airport to Barranquilla-Soledad Airport. The aircraft took off from runway 30 at 0315 hours local time. According to some witnesses it appeared to lift off with difficulty opposite the control tower and when it reached the airport boundary the crew announced that they were returning to land. The Control Tower asked why they were returning but received no reply. After the accident tower control personnel stated that during take-off the noise of the engines was louder than usual, as if more than one engine was overspeeding, and that when the aircraft started to turn they observed a sudden flash following which they lost visual contact with the aircraft. Shortly thereafter the aircraft struck some trees 400 m from the "San Ramón" property, in a field belonging to the "Laguna Vieja" estate, between the roads leading to Funza and Engativá. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and both pilots were killed.

The aircraft,was chartered by Air Congo and was carrying out a non-scheduled domestic flight Kamina - Stanleyville (now Kisangani) - Kamina. Eleven passengers embarked at Stanleyville and the aircraft started its take-off run at 1920 hours local time. After approximately 900 m the pilot suddenly saw, in the darkness, an empty fuel drum on the runway. In an attempt to avoid it, he veered left by braking violently on the left wheels. In spite of this manoeuvre, the nose wheel hit the drum. The forward part of the aircraft was lifted off the ground, aided perhaps by the pilot's manoeuvre in attempting take-off. By that time, the aircraft had attained a speed at which take-off would have been possible under normal conditions. Unfortunately, following the shock the drum bounced, fell back on the runway, bounced again and the aircraft in a nose high attitude caught the drum with the right stabilizer. Part of the stabilizer was torn away and fell on to the runway while the drum was tossed on to the edge of the clearway. The aircraft continued further, now deflected to the right by the unbalanced right stabilizer, which was probably completely distorted. The crew immediately retracted the landing gear. After being airborne about 500 m, the aircraft, out of vertical control, dived into the clearway at an angle of about 300, bounced up, fell back 50 m farther, skidded on its belly and finally came to a stop after a swing of 900 to the right. During that swing, the passengers in the rear of the cabin were thrown out of the aircraft through the torn-off cargo door and through the open cabin door. Fire broke out immediately after the aircraft came to a stop. The accident occurred on the north clearway of runway 28, about 150 m from the runway end. All three crew members and three passengers were killed, eight other occupants were injured. The airplane was totally destroyed by fire.

During the takeoff roll, at V2 speed, the crew decided to abandon the takeoff procedure and initiated an emergency braking manoeuvre. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the four engine aircraft overran, lost its undercarriage and came to rest into trees. All occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.