Desert

Region:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While performing a training flight, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. The captain attempted an emergency landing in a desert area located 12 miles south of Caprock. The airplane was damaged beyond repair but there were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-22-FA Flying Boxcar near Gharyan

Date & Time: Aug 9, 1953

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

51-2542

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Udine – Tripoli

MSN:

10500

YOM:

1950

Location:

Gharyan

Jabal al Gharbi (الجبل الغربي)

Country:

Libya

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Udine to Wheelus AFB in Tripoli (today Mitiga). For unknown reason, the airplane continued to the south and following a fuel exhaustion, all 24 occupants decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a desert area located about 48 km south of Gharyan. All 24 occupants were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Aircraft abandoned following a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D Commando near Cairo: 29 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1953 at 1900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

1001

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Schedule:

el-Arīsh - Cairo

Location:

Cairo

Country:

Egypt

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Cairo-Almaza, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with the presence of a sandstorm. In low visibility, the aircraft hit a sand dune located about 50 km northeast of Cairo and crashed. Eleven occupants were evacuated while 29 others were killed.

Crash of a Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress in Nevada: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Mark Hurd Mapping Company

Registration:

N5116N

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

8416

YOM:

1944

Location:

Nevada

Country:

Region:

Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances in the Nevada desert. Two crew members were killed while a third occupant was injured.

Crash of a Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV near Atar: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 26, 1952 at 0845 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-ALDN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Schedule:

London – Tripoli – Kano

MSN:

81/15

YOM:

1950

Flight number:

BA251

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft took off on a scheduled service from Tripoli to Kano with a crew of eight and ten passengers. The weather forecast indicated fine weather en route and thunderstorms in the Kano area. Due to faulty use of the variation setting control on the Gyrosyn compass and the inability of the crew to determine the aircraft's position properly by the standard methods, the aircraft, with practically no fuel and over the desert, made a wheels-up landing in a wide depression littered with shifting sand-dunes surrounded by rocky escarpments. The port wing was torn off and the remainder of the aircraft slewed left and came to a standstill without breaking up. No fire resulted and all passengers and crew were evacuated without difficulty. Six were slightly injured but the copilot died five days later as a result of exhaustion brought about by strain and heat.

Probable cause:

Causes of the accident, in chronological order, are set out by the report as follows:
- Faulty use by the navigator of the variation setting control on the CL2 Gyrosyn compass,
- Faulty checking of compasses by incorrect astral bearing and without the aid of radio bearings,
- Incorrect inference drawn by the captain in pronouncing the CL2 Gyrosyn compass correct and the P.12 magnetic compass unserviceable,
- Fault on the part of the captain in not returning to Tripoli when the P.12 compass was regarded as unserviceable (in breach of BOAC regulations),
- Inability of the crew to realize that astro shots were being taken on the wrong stars,
- Inability of the crew to determine the aircraft's position properly by the standard methods when the VSC setting error was discovered,
- Lack of decisive action on the part of the captain once he knew he had lost his way,
- Ignorance, on the part of those on board, of the assistance which could have been afforded by Atar airfield.

Final Report:

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-14-FA Flying Boxcar near Hachita

Date & Time: Jan 4, 1952

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

49-0150

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

10387

YOM:

1949

Location:

Hachita

New Mexico

Country:

Region:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While conducting a training mission, the crew encountered mechanical problems and elected to make an emergency landing in a desert area located 12 miles northeast of Hachita, New Mexico. There were no casualties but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson near Saras

Date & Time: Aug 23, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

VS504

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failed en route, forcing the crew to perform an emergency belly landing 27 km south of Saras. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and both crew members were unhurt.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119B Flying Boxcar near El Paso

Date & Time: Jul 15, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

48-0342

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

10324

YOM:

1948

Location:

El Paso

Texas

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failed in flight, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing. The airplane belly landed in a desert area located about 8 miles northwest of El Paso and came to rest. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Faucett F.19 in Pozo Santo: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 28, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Faucett F.19

Operator:

Registration:

OB-PAR-148

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site: