Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Damaged beyond repair following a hard landing at Ma'rib Airstrip. There were no casualties.

The copilot was the pilot-in-command and completed the approach. Just prior to touchdown, the captain realized the airplane was unstable due to unfavorable winds and decided to regain control. Upon landing, the airplane went out of control, veered off runway to the right, struck a drainage ditch, lost its left main gear and came to rest. All 13 occupants escaped uninjured while the airplane was written off.

While in cruising altitude, the crew encountered engine problems and the decision was taken to divert to Soddo Airfield for an emergency landing. After touchdown, both engines were cut off. Unable to stop within the remaining distance of 1,200 meters, the airplane overran and came to rest in a drainage ditch. All 32 occupants were rescued and the aircraft was written off.

After landing at Pampulha Airport, the crew encountered difficulties to stop the airplane that overran, went down an embankment and came to rest few dozen meters further with its undercarriage torn off. All 19 occupants escaped with minor injuries while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Shortly after a night takeoff from Kuopio Airport, while climbing, the right engine failed. The captain elected to return for an emergency landing and initiated a turn to the left when the airplane lost height and crashed in the Juurusvesi Lake, about one km from the airport. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all 15 occupants were killed, among them politicians and businessmen who were flying back to Helsinki after attending a National Defence Course meeting organized by the Finnish Defence Forces.
Crew:
1st Lt Kari Halmetoja, pilot,
M/Sgt Seppo Raninen, copilot,
Sgtm Heikki Mannila, flight engineer.
Passengers:
Risto K. Alanko,
Kirsti Hollming,
Aaro Kenttä,
Pekka Lahdensuu,
Olavi Majlander,
Arto Merisaari,
Antti Pohjonen,
Kari Sinisalo,
Viljo Särkkä,
Olli Varho,
Col Aarno Hukari,
Lt Col Tapio Kokkonen.

The crew was completing a flight from London-Gatwick to Aden with intermediate stops in Nice and Karima, and was supposed to deliver the airplane to Alyemda in Aden. Technical problems occurred on the leg from Gatwick to Nice and the crew was forced to divert to Toulon where spark plugs and carburetor were changed on the left engine. While flying in the region of Karima, the right engine oil pressure and cylinder head temperature exceeded the limits and the propeller oversped. In such conditions, the crew feathered the propeller when the left engine backfired shortly later. The captain decided to make a belly landing in a desert area about 11 km northeast of Karima. While both pilots escaped uninjured, the aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire.

On final approach to runway 27 at Komakuk Airfield, the crew was forced to increase the speed due to a 20 knots headwind. After touchdown, the pilot decided to veer off runway in order to avoid overrunning into a 7 meters embankment. The airplane went down a 1,5 meter embankment and came to rest with its both wings partially torn off. Both pilots escaped uninjured.

During the takeoff run, the airplane deviated to the left side of the runway. The copilot overcorrected, causing the aircraft to swing right, leaving the runway at an angle of 20° partially airborne. The left wing then scraped the intersecting runway 14 while maneuvering to avoid a windsock mast ahead. The aircraft touched down and skidded to a stop. An oil fire broke out in the right engine. All three occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The airplane departed Agana at 0949LT to Ulithi Atoll with a crew of five and 25 passengers, among them officers and musicians with their instruments. About 10 minutes after takeoff, while cruising to the southwest at an altitude of 6,000 feet and a speed of 180 knots, the crew reported an oil leak on the right engine but the situation seemed to be under control. About an hour later, at 1046LT, oil pressure fluctuated and the captain decided to return to Andersen Airbase. About 15 minutes later, the right engine was shut down and its propeller was feathered. Unable to maintain a safe altitude, the crew asked the passengers to jettison the cargo but the airplane continued to lost height. Eventually, the captain decided to ditch the airplane about 13 km southwest of the Guam Island coast. The aircraft landed at 1141LT and came to rest on water. The occupants evacuated the cabin and took refuge in dinghies, the airplane sank about 10 minutes later. 28 people, most of them injured, were evacuated about an hour later. Unfortunately, one passenger and the flight engineer drowned.
Source: Seth P. Washburne
Report: http://thirsty13th.com/Images/Guam_Airplane_Crash_1978.pdf

The crew was completing a cargo flight from Dos Lagunas to Flores, Petén. On approach to Flores-Santa Elena Airport, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into Lake Petén Itzá. All three occupants were rescued while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.