Crash of a Travel Air 4000B near Dunsmuir

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Travel Air 4000
Operator:
Registration:
NC12
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Portland – San Francisco
MSN:
1260
YOM:
1927
Location:
Dunsmuir
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The pilot Arthur D. Starbuck was completing a mail flight from Portland, Oregon, to San Francisco. While entering California, he encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to a snowstorm. He lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a canyon in Shasta Springs, near Dunsmuir. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Snowstorm.

Crash of a Latécoère 25-2R off Montevideo: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1928 at 1000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Latécoère 25
Operator:
Registration:
F-AIKG
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Buenos Aires - Montevideo
MSN:
633
YOM:
1927
Location:
Montevideo
Montevideo City District
Country:
Uruguay
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a mail flight from South America to France. On the leg from Buenos Aires to Montevideo, while overflying the Rio de la Plata and descending to Montevideo, the single engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in the sea. Both crew members were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Hervé Santelli, pilot,
Georges Frances, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Authorities confirmed that the wing detached in flight, precipitating the aircraft into the sea. The French operator confirmed this hypothesis and added it was most probably due to sabotage but this could not be proven.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.9C in Camooweal

Date & Time: Jan 13, 1928
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.9
Operator:
Registration:
G-AUFM
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
YOM:
1927
Location:
Camooweal
Queensland
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on takeoff from Camooweal Airport, Queensland. The pilot L. Brain, sole aboard, was slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13.3 off Almeria

Date & Time: Jan 2, 1928
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-13
Operator:
Registration:
F-AHBI
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
04
YOM:
1925
Location:
Almeria
Andalusia
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances some 50 km off Almería, in the Mediterranean Sea. Both crew members were injured and the aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Breguet 14 Torpedo in Abuerio: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Breguet 14
Operator:
Registration:
F-AFGS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Dakar – Casablanca – Alicante – Perpignan – Toulouse
MSN:
227
YOM:
1923
Location:
Spain
All Spain
Country:
Spain
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot, sole on board, was performing a mail flight from Senegal to France via Morocco and Spain. En route, a fire erupted on board and the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed and burned near a village called 'Abuerio'. The pilot was killed.

Crash of a Ryan M-1 in Bakersfield

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Ryan M-1/M-2
Operator:
Registration:
1
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1
Location:
Bakersfield
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a mail flight, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions. Due to low visibility caused by snow falls, the pilot lost his orientation and decided to abandon the aircraft. After he bailed out, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed. The pilot was uninjured.

Crash of a Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-196 off Ustica Island

Date & Time: Dec 12, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Lioré-et-Olivier LeO H-196
Operator:
Registration:
F-AIGM
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Antibes – Ajaccio – Tunis
MSN:
01
YOM:
1926
Location:
Ustica
Sicily
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On the leg from Ajaccio to Tunis, while flying over the Mediterranean Sea, the crew encountered engine problems and ditched the aircraft off Ustica Island, north of Palermo. The crew was rescued three days later and the aircraft was recovered but considered as written off.
Crew:
Jean Ponce, pilot,
Mr. Maillard, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas M-4 in Denver

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Douglas M-4
Operator:
Registration:
NC1476
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
WAE3
Location:
Denver
Colorado
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances. The pilot, sole on board, was injured.

Crash of a Breguet 14A.2 in Western Sahara

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Breguet 14
Operator:
Registration:
F-ALKU
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Villa Cisneros - Nouadhibou
MSN:
6365.131
YOM:
1922
Location:
Villa Cisneros
Oued Ed-Dahab-Lagouira
Country:
Western Sahara
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Villa Cisneros (Dakhla) to Port-Étienne (Nouadhibou), in Mauritania, the pilot encountered technical problems and was forced to attempt an emergency landing some 200 km south of Villa Cisneros, in Western Sahara. While the pilot was unhurt, the aircraft was destroyed. It appears that a structural failure occurred on a wing.
Probable cause:
Structural failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas M-3 in Corunna: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1927
Type of aircraft:
Douglas M-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC1062
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Postal (mail)
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
PO641
Location:
Corunna
Indiana
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:
During a night mail flight, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions and lost control of the aircraft that crashed. The pilot, sole on board, was killed.
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