Date & Time:
Sep 18, 1944 at 1652 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15139
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
19605
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The C-47 took off at 1240LT on a glider tow mission towing a Waco CG-4A. The objective was to tow the glider to Landing Zone W, located north of Eindhoven, the Netherlands. Over Breda at 1600LT the flight ran into an intense concentration of light flak and the left engine was hit and began trailing smoke. The pilot continued to the LZ and released the glider at 1615LT. While returning to the U.K., about 22 miles from the Dutch coast the left engine went out. The left prop was feathered, but it immediately unfeathered. By this time the aircraft was filling up with smoke and the radio operator caught sight of flames under the floor. The pilot nosed the plane down at 220 mph indicated airspeed from 4,000 feet indicated altitude, turned into the wind and started to level at 1,000 feet. The plane was brought in a tail low attitude and was ditched at 1652LT. The crew escaped and deployed a dinghy from which they were rescued after about 15 minutes.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19440918-22
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19440918-22
Probable cause:
Shot down by the German Flak.
