Crash of a Polikarpov P-5 in Drachevka

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov P-5
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L1538
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Kharkiv – Moscow
MSN:
8064
YOM:
1934
Location:
Drachevka
Kursk oblast
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Kharkiv on a mail flight to Moscow, carrying one pilot and a load of 400 kg of mail. About 50 minutes into the flight, the engine started to vibrate. A smell of fuel spread in the cabin and the engine caught fire. The pilot bailed out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in an open field. The pilot was burned to his legs and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the engine caught fire after a fuel line ruptured in flight, causing the fuel to spill and to ignite while in contact with high temperature components. The line in question had already been repaired but the hose that had been placed to seal the line failed because it was corroded by the fuel.

Crash of a Fokker F9D in Bratislava

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1937 at 0630 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F9
Operator:
Registration:
OK-AFF
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Bratislava – Prague
MSN:
15
YOM:
1935
Location:
Bratislava-Ivanka-Milan Rastislav Štefánik
Bratislava Region
Country:
Slovakia
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Bratislava-Vajnory Airport, one of the engine fired. The crew attempted an emergency landing in a field located past the runway end. While both occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine fire after liftoff.

Crash of a Polikarpov SP near Vladivostok: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1937 at 1600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Polikarpov Po-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L2095
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Iman – Vladivostok
MSN:
8148
YOM:
1936
Location:
Vladivostok
Primorsky 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:
339
Circumstances:
The pilot was completing a mail flight from Iman to Vladivostok. Approaching the destination from the north, he encountered poor weather conditions with heavy snow falls. Flying low in limited visibility, the airplane impacted two tall trees and crashed in a wooded area located 25-30 km north of Vladivostok Airport. The wreckage was found two days later and the pilot was killed.
Probable cause:
The following factors were identified:
- Sudden deterioration of the weather conditions with low visibility due to heavy snow falls;
- The decision of the pilot to continue at low height in such conditions;
- The pilot did not receive any weather bulletin prior to the accident;
- Lack of discipline and overconfidence on part of the pilot.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.6 Envoy in Titsey Hill: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1937
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.6 Envoy
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADBZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Croydon – Paris
MSN:
35
YOM:
1935
Location:
Titsey Hill
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Croydon on a mail flight to Paris-Le Bourget. En route, he encountered poor visibility due to low clouds. Too low, the airplane collided with two high trees and crashed in Titsey Hill, near Oxted. Both occupants were killed.
Crew:
Gordon Shepherd Jones-Evans, pilot,
John Walker, radio operator.
Probable cause:
It was evident from the disposition of the wreckage and the nature of the damage to the trees, that the aircraft was flying straight and laterally level and was heading south-east. "I found no evidence to suggest that there was any engine failure. on the contrary, the evidence indicates that the engines were running normally," said the Inspector. The hills were 870 feet high, and the trees were about 50 feet high, bringing the total height to 920 feet, or about 300 metres. Weather conditions, in witness's opinion, must have had something to do with the accident. It was possible that the southerly wind had drifted the machine farther over the high ground. There was no question of the engine stalling. He did not consider that a fully-loaded machine had anything to do with the accident.

Crash of a Lockheed 10A Electra near Kellogg: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1936 at 0323 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 10 Electra
Operator:
Registration:
NC14935
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Chicago – Minneapolis – Missoula – Seattle
MSN:
1024
YOM:
1935
Flight number:
NW001
Location:
Kellogg
Idaho
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The airplane was completing a night mail flight from Chicago to Seattle with intermediate stops in Minneapolis and Missoula, carrying two pilots and a load of 500 lbs of mail. While overflying west Idaho in poor weather conditions, the twin engine aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located in the region of Kellogg. The airplane was destroyed by impact forces and both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Joe Livermore, pilot,
Arthur A. Haid, copilot.
Probable cause:
In arriving at a conclusion after an analysis of the evidence, it does not appear that the accident was due to weather, mechanical failure of the aircraft, radio aids or communications, or to any failure of the company to comply with prevailing rules and practices. Full cognizance is taken of the possibility that the magnetic compass may not have been functioning properly during the flight. However, a study of available evidence, this appear improbable. It is the opinion of the Accident Board that the probable cause of this accident was faulty navigation in not following the radio range course upon leaving Missoula and failing to ascent to a safe altitude over the course pursued from Elk River.
Final Report:

Crash of a Fokker F12 in Crawley: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1936 at 0338 LT
Type of aircraft:
Fokker F12
Operator:
Registration:
G-AEOT
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Hanover – London
MSN:
5300
YOM:
1931
Location:
Crawley
West Sussex
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Captain / Total flying hours:
5000
Captain / Total hours on type:
2.00
Circumstances:
The aircraft was employed on the regular night mail service between Gatwick and Hanover and the crash occurred on the return flight from Hanover when the pilot was preparing to approach the vicinity of Gatwick Airport. The pilot Hattersley was, in fact, on his first ever return flight on this route with this type of aircraft, although he had flown the double journey four times previously in a DH.86. On the flight in question the pilot had been flying in cloud over most of the route and particularly over England. The weather conditions were bad with lots of low cloud at about 200 metres and there was a strong NE wind reaching as much as 60kn/h at ground level. The pilot navigated by means of W/T bearings sent from Croydon, Lympne, Pulham and Gatwick. Hattersley successfully brought the Fokker through cloud to the vicinity of the airport, and his engines were clearly heard from the ground. Control told him that they had heard him and sent a further five bearings in quick succession - no acknowledgement was received for the last bearing and the Fokker sent no further messages. Repeated attempts were made to communicate with G-AEOT but without success. Gatwick then telephoned every local police station in an endeavour to learn whether anyone had heard anything of the aircraft. A search party, including the airport ambulance and fire engine, set out. At 0610 the wireless operator (C.G.V. Wheeler) of the missing aircraft telephoned the control officer at Crawley and stated that the machine had crashed to the south of Crawley. The local ambulance was informed and it left immediately for the scene of the accident. G-AEOT had crashed into trees on Round Hill, 4 miles south of Gatwick Airport. It was upside down and extensively damaged, with the fuselage completely broken up. The flight engineer, G.R.C. Blowers, was lying injured on the ground near the machine, and Hattersley and the second pilot, V.C.W. Bredenkamp, were both dead in the wreckage.
Source: http://sussexhistoryforum.co.uk/index.php?topic=925.0
Probable cause:
The AAIB Inquiry decided that the accident was caused by the pilot making an error of judgement in that he hadn't taken into account that the very strong NE wind would greatly widen his low altitude turn, causing the Fokker to drift off course and hit the high ground.

Crash of a Caudron C.445 Goéland in Karachi

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.440 Goéland
Operator:
Registration:
F-AOMS
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Paris – Saigon
MSN:
7268.5
YOM:
0
Location:
Karachi
Sindh (سنڌ سندھ)
Country:
Pakistan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing in unknown circumstances. All three crewmen were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lockheed 9D Orion near Buffalo: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 9 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
NC13749
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
207
YOM:
1933
Location:
Buffalo-Johnson County
Wyoming
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While on a mail service, the single engine airplane crashed in a mountainous area located in the region of Buffalo. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-118B in San José Pinula: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 11, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
NC14273
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Salvador – Guatemala City
MSN:
1306
YOM:
1934
Location:
San José Pinula
Guatemala
Country:
Guatemala
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While descending to La Aurora Airport in Guatemala City, while on a mail flight from San Salvador-Comalapa, the crew failed to realize his altitude was insufficient when the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near San José Pinula, about 13 km southeast of La Aurora the airport. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
A. Paschal, pilot,
Al Palmer, copilot,
J. P. Neyman, radio navigator.

Crash of a Lockheed Orion 9 in Francisco Rueda: 1 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1936
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed 9 Orion
Operator:
Registration:
XA-BDH
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Villahermosa – Mexico City
MSN:
174
YOM:
1936
Location:
Francisco Rueda
Tabasco
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Villahermosa on a mail flight to Mexico City, carrying one pilot and a load of 340 kg of mail and various goods. The accident occurred in unknown circumstances. The pilot was killed.
Subscribe to Postal (mail)