Delivery

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Handley Page H.P.70 Halifax VIII

Schedule:

Brussels – Rome – Tel Aviv

MSN:

527

YOM:

1944

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The crew was performing a delivery flight from Brussels to Tel Aviv via Rome-Urbe Airport. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft suffered an explosion and crashed near the runway end. Both pilots were killed and the aircraft was destroyed. The crew consisted of Leonard Cohen and George Frederick Beurling, a Canadian pilot, hero from WWII.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the accident could not be determined with certainty. However, the authorities did not exclude the hypothesis that a bomb was placed on board the aircraft.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.70 Halifax VIII near Basra

Date & Time: May 9, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

AP-ABZ

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Site:

Desert

MSN:

1374

YOM:

1945

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Circumstances:

The crew started the descent to Shaibah Airbase near Basra when all four engines stopped simultaneously. The captain elected to make an emergency landing in a desert area located 66 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft came to rest and was damaged beyond repair while all three crew members were unhurt. The crew was in charge to deliver the aircraft in Karachi as it was just on the Pakistan register since 4 days.

Probable cause:

Failure of all four engines caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide in Daly Waters

Date & Time: May 6, 1948 at 1321 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VH-BKM

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Daly Waters – Alice Springs

MSN:

6543

YOM:

1941

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Crashed one minute after its takeoff from Daly Waters while performing a delivery flight to Alice Springs with two crew and two ladies as passengers on board. After takeoff, during the initial climb, while at an altitude of 150 feet, both engines failed simultaneously. The captain elected to make an emergency landing in a prairie but at the last moment, the left engine regained power. The aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. All four occupants were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Double engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A Commando in Mexico City: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 23, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

RX-138

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Federal District of Mexico City

Schedule:

Burbank – Mexico City – Panama City

Location:

Mexico City

Country:

Mexico

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after lift off, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in flames. The copilot was killed while the captain was seriously injured. He died from his injuries few hours later. The crew was on its way from Burbank to Israel to deliver the aircraft to the Israel Air Force. Four other similar aircraft were performing the same trip at the same time. At the time of the accident, the aircraft was still under the Panamanian register by LAPSA - Lineas Aéreas de Panama.
Crew:
William Guy Gerson, pilot,
Ernest Glen King, copilot.

Probable cause:

Failure of one engine just after rotation.

Crash of a Bristol 170 Freighter 21E into the Mediterranean Sea: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1948

Type of aircraft:

Bristol 170 Freighter

Operator:

Société Indochinoise de Transports Aériens - SITA

Registration:

F-BCJA

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Marseille – Rome – Athens – Nicosia – Baghdad – Saigon

MSN:

12802

YOM:

1946

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way to Indochina to be delivered to the Société Indochinoise de Transports Aériens (SITA) and was carrying two British engineers and three pilots. While cruising between Turkey and Cyprus, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the Mediterranean Sea, about 100 km north of the Cyprus coast. No trace of the aircraft nor the five occupants was ever found.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 near Viterbo

Date & Time: Jan 17, 1948

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

VT-CQA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4077

Location:

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Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from England to India to deliver the aircraft that was brand new. While descending to Rome for a refueling stop, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Urbanu located in the region of Viterbo. Both pilots were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I off Bukit Tanjung Hantu: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 14, 1947

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

RI-003

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Songkhla – Bukittinggi

Location:

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The aircraft left Songkhla, Thailand, bound for Bukittinggi, West Sumatra, to be delivered to the Indonesian Air Force. It was carrying medical supplies as well. While flying along the west coast of Malaysia, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea, killing both occupants, Lt Col Iswahjudi and Air Vice-Marshal Halim Perdanakusuma.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89 Dominie in Tunis

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1947

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Franco-British Commercial & Industrial Company

Registration:

G-AJSJ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Tunis Governorate (ولاية تونس‎)

Schedule:

Croydon – Tunis – Antananarivo

MSN:

6826

YOM:

1947

Location:

Tunis

Country:

Tunisia

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Crashed shortly after takeoff from Tunis while on a delivery flight to Antananarivo. The aircraft was destroyed and both crew members were injured. The airplane christened 'Tamatave' was on its way from Croydon to Antananarivo to be delivered to Air Madagascar.

Crash of a North American B-25C Mitchell in Klyazma: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 6, 1947 at 1521 LT

Type of aircraft:

North American B-25 Mitchell

Operator:

Gidrometeosluzhba

Registration:

CCCP-M345

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: