Date & Time:
Jan 18, 1956 at 1449 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
OK-WDZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Prague – Bratislava – Košice
MSN:
9385
YOM:
1943
Country:
Slovakia
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
22
Pax fatalities:
18
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
On the leg from Bratislava to Košice, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and was contacted by ATC and diverted to Poprad. Few minutes before its ETA in Poprad, while cruising in bad weather conditions at an altitude of 1,300 meters, the aircraft hit trees and crashed in a snow covered and wooded area located in the Tatra Mountain Range. Four passengers were injured and rescued while all 22 other occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the crew started the descent to Poprad prematurely following a wrong altimeter setting, causing the aircraft to hit obstacles and to crash. Poor visibility caused by snow falls and heavy winds blowing up to 100 km/h were considered as contributing factors.
