Date & Time:
Jan 12, 1954 at 1355 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
OK-WDS
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Prague – Ostrava
MSN:
11854
YOM:
1943
Country:
Czech Republic
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
9
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
After a takeoff roll of 900 meters on runway 22, the pilot-in-command initiated the rotation. While climbing to a height of about 50 feet in a horizontal visibility of about 100 meters, the crew sighted the chimney and the pilot made a sharp turn to the left to avoid a collision. Doing so, the airplane hit a telephone pole and telegraphic cables, stalled and crashed in flames in a snow covered field located about one km south of the airfield. All four crew members and nine passengers were killed while five other passengers were rescued. The aircraft was destroyed.
Crew:
Jan House, pilot,
Jiří Levý, copilot,
Milroslav Kalenda, radio operator,
Milroslav Häusler, flight engineer.
Crew:
Jan House, pilot,
Jiří Levý, copilot,
Milroslav Kalenda, radio operator,
Milroslav Häusler, flight engineer.
Probable cause:
No mechanical failure was reported on the airplane prior to the accident. At that time, the cloud base was about 200 meters above ground with a horizontal visibility of 100 meters in snow falls. The takeoff roll was completed on runway 22 that was covered with a layer of 5 to 10 cm of wet snow. The accident was the consequence of poor flying techniques on part of the pilot-in-command during initial climb.
