Date & Time:
Mar 6, 1962 at 1415 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-DJC
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Cape Town – Oudtshoorn – George – Plettenberg Bay – Port Elizabeth – Grahamstown – Queenstown – Collondale
MSN:
16189/32937
YOM:
1945
Flight number:
SA512
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total hours on type:
2484
Circumstances:
According to the copilot the aircraft flew below the clouds at about 300-500 ft above the ground. It was the pilot-in-command's intention to fly through the Katberg Pass below cloud and as the aircraft approached the mountains the cloud ceiling became lower and the pilot was faced with a critical situation. He called for METO (maximum except takeoff) power and in an attempt to clear the hills the right wing first made contact with the trees and then the right engine propeller cut into the rising ground. The aircraft came to rest against a rock face approximately 250 yd from the initial point of impact with the trees and approximately 500 ft from the top of the hill. Two crew members were killed while five other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
The accident was attributed to an error of judgement on the part of the pilot-in-command who attempted low visual flight, beneath the cloud base, near mountains in deteriorating weather conditions.
Final Report:
ZS-DJC.pdf1.9 MB
