Crash of an AAC.1 Toucan near Eséka: 13 killed

Date & Time: Jul 1, 1947
Type of aircraft:
AAC.1 Toucan
Operator:
Registration:
F-BALF
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Bangui – Yaoundé – Douala
MSN:
091
Flight number:
AF632
Location:
Eséka
Centre
Country:
Cameroon
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the three engine aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located near Eséka. All 13 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Louis Coupvent, pilot,
Robert Ferrisse, radio navigator,
Frank Malaret, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-10-DK Dakota C.4 in Antananarivo

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
KJ979
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
14971/26416
YOM:
1945
Location:
Antananarivo
Antananarivo Province
Country:
Madagascar
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On final approach, the aircraft was too low and hit the ground short of runway, lost its undercarriage and came to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-20-DK Dakota C.4 near Isiolo

Date & Time: Jun 27, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
KN264
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Fāyid – Nairobi
MSN:
15749/27194
YOM:
1945
Location:
Isiolo
Rift Valley
Country:
Kenya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Enroute, the right engine failed and caught fire. The captain reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing in a swampy area located near Isiolo. The aircraft crash landed and was damaged beyond repair while all 15 occupants were able to evacuate safely. Crew from the 216th Squadron.
Probable cause:
The fire on the right engine was caused by the failure of a fuel line. The fuel spill in the nacelle and then caught fire.

Crash of an AAC.1 Toucan in Algiers: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1947 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
AAC.1 Toucan
Operator:
Services Français de Télécommunications et de Signalisation
Registration:
F-BBYH
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Government
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Algiers – Marseille
MSN:
228
Location:
Algiers
Algiers
Country:
Algeria
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Just after lift off, while in initial climb, the three engine aircraft stalled and crashed in flames. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Georges Pascaud, pilot,
Jean-Louis Coquerel, radio navigator,
Pierre Besson, mechanic.

Crash of a Avro 683 Lancaster in Nairobi

Date & Time: May 28, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 683 Lancaster
Operator:
Registration:
SW304
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Nairobi - Nairobi
Location:
Nairobi-Eastleigh (Moi Air Base)
Nairobi City District
Country:
Kenya
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During the takeoff roll, the aircraft skidded and went out of control. The undercarriage collapsed and the airplane came to rest. There were no casualties among the crew of five from the 82nd Squadron.

Crash of a Beechcraft C-45F Expeditor in Songea

Date & Time: May 9, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor
Operator:
Registration:
44-47197
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Swartkop - Songea
MSN:
7131
Location:
Songea
Ruvuma Region
Country:
Tanzania
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing in unknown circumstances. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and all four occupants were rescued.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-2 near Malakal

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-BNB
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
MSN:
4098
YOM:
1941
Location:
Malakal
Upper Nile (أعالي النيل)
Country:
South Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Enroute, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing following an engine failure. The aircraft crash landed 10 km south of Malakal and came to rest. Two passengers were slightly injured while all other occupants were unhurt. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura V near Aljammalab: 15 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1947 at 1930 LT
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
6501
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Pretoria – Malakal – Khartoum – Cairo – London
Location:
Aljammalab
White Nile (النيل الأبيض)
Country:
Sudan
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
Enroute to Khartoum, the twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances near Aljammalab, about 100 km southwest of Khartoum. The aircraft was destroyed and all 15 occupants were killed. All of them were pilots flying to UK to take deliver of Spitfire for the SAAF.
Crew:
Maj Frederick Welgemoed, pilot,
Lt Hermanus Gerhardus van Rooyen, copilot,
Petrus Andries Burger, flight engineer,
Cpl Leslie Donovan Case, wireless operator.
Passengers:
Maj Andrew Christian Bosman, pilot,
Cpt Hendrik Christoffel Weideman Liebenberg, pilot,
Lt Ronald Leslie Crisp, pilot,
Lt Jacobus Stephanus Gericke, pilot,
Lt Robert Cecil Hirst, pilot,
Lt Hermanus Johannes Kritzinger, pilot,
Lt John Jurie Landman, pilot,
Lt Peter David Nelson, pilot,
Lt Peter Nicolay, pilot,
Lt Norman Peter Prinsloo, pilot.

Crash of an Avro 685 York in Dakar: 6 killed

Date & Time: Apr 13, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Avro 685 York
Operator:
Registration:
G-AHEZ
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
London – Lisbon – Dakar – Natal – Rio de Janeiro
MSN:
1303
YOM:
1946
Location:
Dakar
Dakar Region
Country:
Senegal
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
On final approach to Dakar-Yoff Airport, the captain decided to go around due to low visibility causes by poor weather conditions. A second and a third attempt to land were aborted few minutes later. During the fourth attempt, while short of fuel, the aircraft landed hard and the undercarriage were sheared off. The aircraft slid on its belly for several yards and came to rest, broken in two. Six passengers were killed while nine other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Regarding the flight plan, there was too great errors in the ETA and the endurance was inexact. Lack of decision on the part of the pilot who, after his second attempt to land, and in view of his insufficient petrol reserve, should have carried out the diversionary plan.
The lighting of the runways was inadequate: there were no approach lights and there are no wireless facilities for landing in bad visibility at Dakar-Yoff Airport.
Contributory Causes:
Difficulties in exchange of radio telephony communications between the control tower and the aircraft,
Insufficient knowledge of the English language by the controllers in the tower, according to the Americans and British,
As regards to the crew, there certainly appears to have been a slight nervousness during the attempts to land,
The danger to passengers in the case of cabin fuselage below the wing in the event of a forced landing elsewhere than on a runway,
Lack of knowledge of the alternate airfield of Thies by BSAA crews. Thies was given on the old general aeronautical maps but at the time of the accident, no schedule for this aerodrome has yet been published by the Aeronautical Information Section. This schedule was available following the publication of the final investigation report.
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