Date & Time:
Dec 20, 1934 at 0333 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
PH-AJU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia
MSN:
1317
YOM:
1934
Country:
Iraq
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
4
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
7
Aircraft flight hours:
284
Circumstances:
The crew departed Cairo-Almaza Airport at 2330LT bound for Baghdad. While overflying the Iraqi Desert at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Ruţbah Wells. On approach, the aircraft was at full power when it impacted the ground in a 17° right bank angle and 12° nose down attitude. The aircraft crashed and exploded some 16 km from the Ruţbah Wells Airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne Beekman, pilot,
Jan Johannes van Steenbergen, copilot,
Hendrik Abraham Waalewijn, engineer,
Gysbert van Zadelhoff, radio navigator.
Passengers:
Dominique Willem Berretty,
E. W. Walch,
Jacob Thymen Kort.
Crew:
Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne Beekman, pilot,
Jan Johannes van Steenbergen, copilot,
Hendrik Abraham Waalewijn, engineer,
Gysbert van Zadelhoff, radio navigator.
Passengers:
Dominique Willem Berretty,
E. W. Walch,
Jacob Thymen Kort.
Probable cause:
The cause of the accident is probably not related to a fire, in-flight break-up or lightning, nor related to failures of a technical nature. It is very likely that the very unfavorable weather conditions along with less favorable handling characteristics of the airplane in severe turbulence and fatigue of the pilot have resulted in a collision with the ground, which caused the catastrophe.
