Crash of a Tupolev PS-41 near Voronezh: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1940 at 1755 LT
Type of aircraft:
Tupolev ANT-40 (PS-40/PS-41)
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-T3518
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stalingrad – Moscou
MSN:
11/214
YOM:
1938
Location:
Voronezh
Voronezh oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Aircraft flight hours:
168
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Stalingrad at 1647LT on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying three crew members and a load of 113 kg of mail. After takeoff, the airplane entered clouds and continued his course to the northwest. After flying a distance of about 350 km, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 metres in clouds, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field at a speed of 750-800 km/h. All three occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Due to the high degree of destruction, investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. Nevertheless, it is believed that the loss of control was probably the consequence of icing while cruising at high altitude in clouds, causing a malfunction of the instruments.

Crash of a Caudron C.282/10 Phalène in Kankan

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.280 Phalène
Operator:
Aéroclub de Guinée
Registration:
F-ANBI
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Conakry – Kindia – Dabola – Kankan
MSN:
6949.2
YOM:
1934
Location:
Kankan
Kankan Region
Country:
Guinea
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing for unknown reason. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.

Crash of a Junkers W.34fi near Waterways: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1940
Type of aircraft:
Junkers W.34
Operator:
Registration:
CF-ARI
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2732
YOM:
1933
Location:
Fort McMurray
Alberta
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Fort McMurray, while climbing, the engine failed. The aircraft stalled and crashed in a wooded area located some 5 miles south of Waterways. The aircraft was destroyed and the pilot William Beaman Donoghue was seriously injured. He died few hours later from injuries sustained.
Probable cause:
Engine failure after takeoff.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Zinnitz

Date & Time: Sep 13, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
2D+PH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Radom - Berlin
MSN:
6139
YOM:
1938
Location:
Zinnitz
Brandenburg
Country:
Germany
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Radom on a mail flight to Berlin-Staaken Airport. It crashed in unknown circumstances in Zinnitz, some 90 km south of Berlin. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.84 Dragon I near Lahore: 2 killed

Date & Time: Aug 26, 1939
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.84 Dragon
Operator:
Registration:
VT-AEL
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Calcutta – Lahore
MSN:
6048
YOM:
1933
Location:
Lahore
Punjab (پنجاب)
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While performing a mail flight from Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances some 60 km from Lahore. The passenger and the pilot were killed.

Crash of a Polikarpov PR-5 in Leninabad: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov PR-5
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2162
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Stalinabad – Leninabad
MSN:
106
YOM:
1937
Location:
Leninabad
Sughd Province
Country:
Tajikistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
At 0700LT, the pilot was cleared for takeoff from Stalinabad on a mail flight to Leninabad despite weather conditions at destination were poor due to thunderstorm activity. On approach, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a field and was killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot was inexperienced and this was his first solo flight. Failure of the Authority at Stalinabad Airport who allowed the pilot to take off despite poor weather conditions at destination and his lack of experience.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP near Imişli: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2221
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
10055
YOM:
1937
Location:
Imişli
Aran
Country:
Azerbaijan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on mail flight within Azerbaijan, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. Flying at an altitude of 240 metres in poor visibility, he lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed 6 km north of Imişli. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
Probable cause:
The pilot was inexperience in such flight conditions. Probable spatial disorientation.

Crash of a Caudron C.635 Simoun in Morondava: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1939 at 0730 LT
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun
Operator:
Registration:
F-AOOT
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Antananarivo – Morondava – Ihosy
MSN:
7372.53
YOM:
1937
Location:
Morondava
Toliara Province
Country:
Madagascar
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a mail flight from Antananarivo to Ihosy with an intermediate stop in Morondava. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the engine failed. Following a distance of 1,500 metres, the aircraft stalled, hit a tree and crashed in a field. The pilot was killed and the flight engineer was injured. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Jacques Ringel, pilot,
Roland Chollet, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
According to the expert from Bureau Veritas, the engine failure was caused by a defect of the fuel supply system.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP in Ust-Bolsheretsk: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 30, 1939 at 1632 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2295
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky – Ust-Bolsheretsk
MSN:
10189
YOM:
1937
Location:
Ust-Bolsheretsk
Kamchatka Krai
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Aircraft flight hours:
313
Circumstances:
During the day, the pilot already performed twice the flight between Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Ust-Bolsheretsk. After passing over Apacha, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility dropped to zero due to heavy snow falls. Nevertheless, the pilot attempted to land at Ust-Bolsheretsk and continued the approach when he lost control of the airplane that crashed six km east of the destination airfield. The airplane was destroyed and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The decision of the pilot to initiate an approach in below-minima weather conditions. Lack of discipline on part of the pilot and his failure to return in time were considered as contributing factors.

Crash of a Lockheed 14H Super Electra in Katherine: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1939 at 0750 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 14 Super Electra
Operator:
Registration:
VH-ABI
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Darwin – Katherine – Adelaide
MSN:
1418
YOM:
1938
Location:
Katherine
Northern Territory
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft was carrying a load of 700 pounds of mail from Darwin to Adelaide with an intermediate stop in Katherine. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft encountered problem to gain height. It eventually stalled and crashed in the Katherine River located near the airport and came to rest in 6 feet of water. The aircraft was destroyed and all four occupants were killed.
Crew:
J. A. Jukes, pilot,
C. R. Clarke, pilot,
P. I. Donegan, copilot and flight engineer.
Passenger:
A. McDonald, Chief Inspector of Aerodromes in the Northern Territory.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the single runway of only 700 yards was marginal for the type of aircraft. Wheel marks on the runway indicated that there had been five attempts at becoming airborne before the boundary fence prompted one last desperate attempt at lifting off with too little airspeed.
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