Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

KG538

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

13021

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, the right engine caught fire. The crew was able to extinguish the fire and the propeller was feathered. The captain decided to return to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport when on touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and collided with a water tank before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Mt Puncak Jaya: 29 killed

Date & Time: Sep 18, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

A65-61

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Pitu – Merauke – Bamaga – Townsville

MSN:

14554/25999

YOM:

1944

Location:

Mt Puncak Jaya

Special Region of Papua

Country:

Indonesia

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising in low visibility at an altitude of 14,200 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Carstensz Mountain Range. As it failed to arrive in Townsville, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The missionary Jerry Reeder discovered the wreckage with his Cessna 206 in June 1967. He had rented a vacant house to the DeLong Lumber Company that was doing a hardwood lumber survey in the area. Their superintendent, Mike Cramer, upon hearing about his discovery of a downed aircraft immediately made their Bell Jet-Ranger helicopter available to visit the site. The first attempt had to be aborted due to weather and a partial engine failure. They nearly crashed twice. But the next day they were able to spend two hours on the ground. They gathered three sets of dog tags and the pilot\\\\\\'s chart case which were turned into to the Australian Embassy in Singapore a month later. On December 10, 1970, walkers found the wreckage on the slope of a mountain located near Mt Puncak Jaya, southwest of Mulia, some 100 feet from the summit. It was later decided between Indonesian and Australian authorities to repatriate all remains back to Australia. This exercise was completed from May 23 to June 6, 2005.
Crew (33rd Squadron):
W/O Arthur Jack Hunter, pilot,
W/O Albert Clifford Hughes, copilot,
F/Sgt Kenneth Robert Wiles, wireless operator,
W/O Eric Wilkinson, wireless operator,
F/Sgt Allan George Sawrey,
Sgt Francis Leonard Henry Blackmore.
Passengers:
W/O Allan Campbell,
LAC William Royce Dunderdale,
F/O Noel Royce Stibbard,
Sister Marie Eileen Craig,
Pvt Keith John Bowden,
Pvt Laurie Anthony Coombe,
George Phillip Duffy,
Trevor John Eiszele,
Pvt Mervyn John Ford,
Sgt Arthur John Hyde,
Frederick Joseph Ireland,
Lt Alun Morris Jones,
Pvt Arthur Trevor Jorgensen,
James Francis MacDougall,
Ronald Leslie Mathieson,
Jonathan Matthews,
Pvt John McAlorum,
Pvt Ian Scott McDowall,
Pvt Leonard Thomas Oakley,
Pvt Ian Thomas Ray,
Pvt Donald William Smith,
Pvt James Ivan Tindall,
Cpl George John Welch.

Thanks to Jerry Reeder for his testimony.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-20-DK near Atsugi: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 17, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

43-49914

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Motobu - Atsugi

MSN:

15730/27175

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Atsugi Airbase, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and low visibility. The aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and was destroyed, killing all five occupants.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK Dakota C.3 into the Andaman Sea

Date & Time: Sep 16, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

FL610

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

12021

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Enroute, the weather conditions worsened and the pilot lost his orientation and was unable to know his exact position. As the fuel exhausted, the crew was forced to ditch the aircraft into the Andaman Sea, some 96 km off Ye, Burma. All occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft sank and was lost.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion caused by a loss of orientation on part of the crew.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-45-DK in Fairfax Field: 23 killed

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1945 at 0008 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

45-1011

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Kansas City-Fairfax Field

Schedule:

Fairfax Field – Denver

MSN:

17014/34277

YOM:

1945

Location:

Kansas

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 35, the aircraft encountered problems to gain height. During the initial climb, at a height of some 30 feet, the Skytrain hit tree tops located 0.9 mile from the runway end, stalled and crashed in a wooded area, near the shore of the Missouri River. A passenger was seriously injured while 23 other occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

According to investigators, both engines suffered a sudden loss of power during the initial climb, likely due to the fact that spark plugs were not compliant with the engine manufacturer procedures. Moreover, experts believe that a sudden increase in oil consumption resulted in excessive dilution of the fluid.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV in Yangon

Date & Time: Sep 15, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KN615

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

16514/33262

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after liftoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed 800 meters from the runway end. The aircraft was written off but there were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure shortly after rotation.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV near Tiddim: 8 killed

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

KJ902

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

MSN:

14488/25933

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous region located near Tiddim, killing all eight occupants.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-5-DK in Maprik

Date & Time: Sep 12, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

A65-38

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

12249

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on takeoff for unknown reason. Both crewmen were uninjured while the aircraft was written off.
Crew (38th Squadron):
F/Lt F. H. Dyke 1.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK off Alotau: 19 killed

Date & Time: Sep 11, 1945 at 1015 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

A65-56

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: