Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Location:

Goose Bay

Newfoundland & Labrador

Country:

Canada

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On landing in Goose Bay Airport, the aircraft hit a snowdrift and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-30-DK Dakota IV in Marseille: 26 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1946 at 1825 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KN557

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Palermo - London

MSN:

16423/33171

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was on its way from Palermo to London with released British soldiers returning home. While flying south of Marseille at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and was destroyed upon impact. On the scene, rescuers were able to evacuate a passenger seriously injured while 25 other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the only survivor died from his injuries. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to snow falls and the aircraft was following a wrong path.
Crew (271st Squadron):
F/Lt William George Elliott Buchanan, pilot,
F/Sgt Edwin Alan Chapman, copilot,
W/O John Wyvill Suart, navigator,
F/O Ralph Nathaniel Smith, wireless operator.
Passengers:
LAC Stephen Michael Aungier,
LAC John Kendal Bond,
Drv Henry Canham,
LAC Charles George Cottle,
LAC Henry Cunningham,
LAC Gwilym Daniels,
LAC Ernest John Fessi,
Pvt John James Flanagan,
LAC Leonard Roy Fouracre,
Sap Eric Gardham,
LAC Trevor Ernest Giles,
LAC Ronald Gillingham,
Cpt Paul Verrier Isaac,
Cpt Wilfred Kendrick Lloyd,
Lt Peter Marriott,
Lt John Harold Nutt,
Cpl Walter Peacock,
Pvt Benjamin Price,
Lt Maurice Ernest Rennie,
Lt Robert Thomas Tobias,
Lt Stanley Charles Turner,
Cpt George Wood.

Probable cause:

It appears that the aircraft was off course at the time of the accident following erroneous information received by the crew from the ground control service. Due to low visibility caused by snow falls, the crew was unable to distinguish the mountainous area and this resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.

Crashf of a Vickers 619 Wellington X in Port Lyautey: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Vickers 619 Wellington X

Operator:

Registration:

NC566

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Port Lyautey - Port Lyautey

Location:

Kenitra

Gharb-Chrarda-Béni Hssen

Country:

Morocco

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Port Lyautey Airbase, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-1-DK Dakota IV on Mt Gunung Bongkok : 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KJ817

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bandung – Jakarta

MSN:

14156/25601

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute from Bandung to Jakarta, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with cumulonimbus and turbulence. The aircraft entered an area of clouds and encountered heavy turbulence, went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed on the slope of Mt Gunung Bongkok located some 10 km southwest of Purwakarta. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Loss of control caused by heavy turbulence while flying into cumulonimbus.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G-85-DL Flying Fortress in Praia de Muriú: 7 killed

Date & Time: Jan 10, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-83580

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

32221

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances in Praia de Muriú, near Natal, killing all seven crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL Dakota III in Semarang

Date & Time: Jan 9, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

FD919

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

MSN:

9686

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

After touchdown on a wet runway, the aircraft slipped and veered off runway before coming to rest into a ditch. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Curtiss R5C-1 Commando in Tinian

Date & Time: Jan 7, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

39579

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Northern Marianna Islands

MSN:

30540

YOM:

1944

Location:

Tinian Island

Country:

Northern Mariana Islands

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Tinian Airfield, the twin engine aircraft crashed in a field. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK near Gumab: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1946

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-47994

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: