Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide off Hinchinbrook Island: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1953 at 2155 LT
Registration:
VH-CFA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Iron Range – Cairns
MSN:
6713
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The Aerial ambulance was called out to Iron Range on Cape York to collect a patient, an aboriginal stockman who had been bitten by a snake. Capt Dick Brampton was one of half a dozen ANA pilots who were rostered to fly the Ambulance plane as needed for the Cairns Ambulance Transport Brigade. On board as well was an ambulance bearer. Capt Dick Brampton took off fairly late from Iron Range, and was confronted by very low thick cloud north of Cairns. The Rapide was only VFR nor IFR and Capt Brampton could not get a fix on Cairns. He was redirected further south. He apparently ran out of fuel north of Hinchinbrook Island and landed the aircraft on the water near Brooke Island. Nearly two hours late on estimated ETA at Townsville that evening, a radio call was heard at 9.48pm “Lost, low fuel”. At 9.55pm another call saying the aircraft was being ditched. Within an hour of the last message, a RAAF Lincoln from Townsville and an ANA DC-3 from Cairns were searching an area near Hinchinbrook Island, 20 miles north of Ingham. The ambulance bearer was uninjured and got out okay, along with Capt Brampton who had some leg injuries. The stockman went down with the plane which did not float for long. Apparently Capt Dick Brampton survived for some time in the water, but was unable to stay afloat due to his injuries. He was not wearing a life jacket. The ambulance bearer was picked up six hours later by a passing coastal freighter. Neither Capt Brampton's body nor any parts of the plane were ever found.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon in Cheviot Hills: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 20, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-URY
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cheviot Hills – Charters Towers
MSN:
6082
YOM:
1934
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Cheviot Hill Aerodrome, while climbing to a height of 50 feet, the aircraft nosed down and crashed. The pilot Captain Martin Garrett and a passegner, Mrs. Kathleen O'Leary were killed. The Doctor Mr. O'Leary was injured while two other passengers, Mrs. King Lethbridge and her child were uninjured. The aircraft was involved in an ambulance flight to Charter Towers on behalf of the Royal Flying Doctor Service.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the engine failed during initial climb.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina into the Mississippi River: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 7, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
46617
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a medical evacuation from a vessel on the Mississippi River. Upon landing, the Catalina struck a submerged obstacle that caused the aircraft to water loop, separating the wing from the fuselage. The aircraft quickly sank and was lost. Three crew members were killed while three others were injured.
Crew killed were:
Ens V. C. Fleck,
Ad2 J. C. Netherland,
Aic M. L. Sweet.
Probable cause:
Collision with an unknown floating obstacle while landing on the Mississippi River.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Hanoi: 30 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1953
Operator:
Registration:
F-BESS
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Hanoi - Sơn La
MSN:
19498
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
30
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing an ambulance flight from Hanoi-Gia Lâm to Sơn La-Nà Sản Airport, carrying 27 wounded soldiers and a crew of three. Shortly after takeoff from Gia Lâm Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane banked left and crashed in a huge explosion. All 30 occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
The loss of control was due to the failure of the left wing shortly after rotation.

Crash of a Beechcraft 18R Tp4 in Östersund: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1953
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
007
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
A-321
YOM:
1946
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from runway 30, while climbing to a height of 100 feet, the twin engine aircraft banked left and stalled, causing the left wing to hit the ground. The airplane went out of control and crashed in flames near a wooded area located 100 meters farther. While all three passengers were injured, the pilot Knut Gunnerfeldt was killed.
Probable cause:
The accident was the result of a wrong position of the flaps during the takeoff procedure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D in Suwon: 13 killed

Date & Time: Dec 22, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
49-2612
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
The crew taxied onto the active runway when a USAF Lockheed F-80C Shooting Star registered 49-0722 collided with the Dakota while taking off from the same runway. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 13 occupants on board the Dakota were killed. There were five crew members, six wounded US soldiers who should be transferred to a hospital and two doctors on board.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL off Incheon: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
43-15379
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Seoul - Ch'o-do Island
MSN:
19845
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances off Incheon, South Korea, killing all eight crew members. They were taking part to the evacuation of US wounded soldiers.
Crew:
1st Lt Francis P. Burns,
1st Lt Donn H. Haugen,
Cpt Richard E. Hines,
Cpt Frederick S. Kelley,
S/Sgt Albert C. May,
A1C Calvin G. Sandrock Jr.,
1st Lt Frank F. Sherman,
1st Lt Benjamin H. Woodruff Jr.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Barra

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1951
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGPH
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
6889
YOM:
1945
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing on the beach at Barra, the twin engine aircraft overturned and came to rest upside down. Both pilots who were engaged in an ambulance flight, were injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide off Cairns: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 27, 1951
Registration:
VH-CFA
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Vanrook – Cairns
MSN:
6814
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The aircraft was returning to Cairns from am ambulance flight to Vanrook Station bringing a seriously injured stockman to Cairns Base Hospital. The aircraft had no radio navigation aids and the pilot was unable to locate Cairns due to thick smoke from the annual sugar cane burn-off by farmers. When fuel was low, the pilot decided to ditch the aircraft in the sea, about 24 km (15 miles) north of Cairns. They were unable to drag the unconscious patient from the aircraft before the Rapide immediately sank. The three survivors swam to shore and reached a beach after six hours in the water.
Crew:
Cpt Neville Hicks, pilot.
Passengers:
Keith Howard, ambulance officer,
Larry Hansen, friend of the injured man 1.
Source:
http://www.goodall.com.au/australian-aviation/dh89/dh89.htm
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 near Saldungaray: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1951 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Bahía Blanca – Morón
Country:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft was performing an ambulance flight from Bahía Blanca to the Airbase of Morón, carrying three crew members (two pilots and a mechanic), two patients and three doctors on behalf of the Argentinian Secretariat to Aeronautics. While cruising in low visibility due to foggy conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Sierra de la Ventana. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 8 occupants were killed.