Date & Time:
Feb 4, 1952 at 1207 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
OO-CBN
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Costermansville – Léopoldville
MSN:
13450
YOM:
1944
Flight number:
SN425
Country:
Democratic Republic of Congo
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
13
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
16
Circumstances:
At 1205LT, while overflying the Kasai province, the aircraft suffered a technical problem on the right engine where a propeller blade separated and went through the cabin. The airplane went out of control, nosed down and crashed two minutes later in the forest of Dibata located about 20 km from Kikwit. All 16 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The control cables in the fuselage were sheared by the right propeller which had been projected following a shaft failure caused by the sudden stopping of the engine caused by fatigue failure of No. 6 piston lug.
