Military | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The aircraft left Grostenquin Airbase at 1100LT bound for London with an intermediate stop at Marville AFB. During a GCA approach to runway 12, the crew encountered foggy conditions and the airplane hit trees and crashed in the Montmédy forest located less than five km north of the airfield. Seven passengers were killed while seven other occupants were killed.

Crash of a Casa 352 in Montserrat

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Casa 352

Operator:

Registration:

T.2B-234

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

125

Location:

Country:

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Circumstances:

An engine failed in flight, forcing all eight crew members to bail out. The airplane crashed in the Montserrat Mountain Range located north of Barcelona and was destroyed. All eight crew members were found alive.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar in Kagoshima

Date & Time: Nov 30, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

52-5881

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

11048

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

An engine failed in flight. As the crew was unable to feather the propeller, they decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in Kagoshima. All five crew members were found uninjured.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1A Canso in the Johnstone Strait: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 24, 1955 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso)

Operator:

Registration:

11073

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Vancouver – Comox – Tofino – Holberg

MSN:

CV-395

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Vancouver (Sea Island) to Holberg with intermediate stops at Comox and Tofino. On this trip, however, he did not stop at Comox. While flying along the Vancouver Island, an engine failed. The pilot-in-command attempted to ditch the aircraft that crashed into the Johnstone Strait. Three crew members were killed while all others occupants were rescued.
Those killed were:
F/O P. C. Walker, navigator,
F/O D. K. McPherson, radio operator,
Ac1 N. C. Thompson.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in Esquel

Date & Time: Nov 23, 1955

Type of aircraft:

De Havilland DH.104 Dove

Operator:

Registration:

T-82

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

Crashed shortly after takeoff from Esquel Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D in Akranes: 4 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

45-0879

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

16882/34138

YOM:

1945

Location:

Akranes

Western Region (Vesturland)

Country:

Iceland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-124 Globemaster II in Iwo Jima: 11 killed

Date & Time: Nov 20, 1955 at 1859 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

Operator:

Registration:

51-0149

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Iwo Jima - Tachikawa

MSN:

43483

YOM:

1951

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a flight from Iwo Jima to Tachikawa, carrying two passengers, nine crew members and a load of various goods for a total weight of 24,892 lbs. After a run of 3,500 feet on runway 07, the four engine aircraft rotated and continued to climb to a height of 100 feet when it banked to the left, causing the left wing tip to hit the ground. Out of control, the airplane crashed in a huge explosion and disintegrated on impact. A passenger survived while all ten other occupants were killed. Sixteen days later, on December 6, the only survivor died of his injuries.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was caused by a malfunction of the number one engine propeller that went into reverse after an electrical short-circuit occurred.

Crash of a Douglas MC-54M on Mt Charleston: 14 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

44-9068

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Burbank - Homey

MSN:

27294

YOM:

1945

Location:

Mt Charleston

Nevada

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

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Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from Burbank to the secret base 51 (aka Homey) located near Groom Lake, Nevada, carrying a crew of four and 10 passengers, atomistics, engineers and scientists who were taking part to the Lockheed U-2 reconnaissance aircraft building program. Due to the fact that the flight was secret, the crew did not have any radio contact with ATC. Enroute, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and low visibility. While flying in clouds at an altitude of 11,300 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Charleston about 50 feet below the summit, killing all 14 occupants.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft was off course at the time of the accident, probably because the crew became lost in the clouds.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar into the Pacific Ocean: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 9, 1955

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

52-5891

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Pope – McClellan – Hickam – Tachikawa

MSN:

11058

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a flight from Pope AFB to Tachikawa with intermediate stops at McClellan AFB and Hickam AFB. While cruising about 1,046 km northeast of Hickam AFB, a propeller blade failed. As the crew was unable to feather the propeller, they decided to bail out and abandoned the airplane that crash into the ocean. A crew member was killed while four others were rescued.

Probable cause:

Propeller blade failure in flight.