Crash of a Douglas DC-3C in Copenhagen: 22 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1947 at 1532 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
PH-TCR
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Amsterdam – Copenhagen – Stockholm
MSN:
14034/25479
YOM:
1944
Location:
Copenhagen-Kastrup
Hovedstaden
Country:
Denmark
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
22
Aircraft flight hours:
1686
Circumstances:
Less than one minute after takeoff from Kastrup Airport, while climbing to a height of 200 feet with a 40 km/h wind from the northeast, the aircraft nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in a snow covered field located 1,000 meters from the airport. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 22 occupants were killed, among them Prince Gustaf Adolf of Sweden, grandson of the King Gustaf V, and the US singer Grace Moore.
Crew:
G. J. Geysendorffer, pilot,
G. J. Rietman, copilot,
S. M. A. Pijnenburg, radio operator,
W. Brandenburg, radio operator,
W. A. van Bommel, flight engineer,
H. Hoek, steward.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the loss of control during initial climb was caused by stabilizers blocked by a wooded lock pin. During the stopover in Copenhagen-Kastrup, a ground technician decided to put a wooded lock pin in the rudder and the stabilizer as well to avoid unnecessary movements that could cause damages as there were moderate winds in Copenhagen at that time. Before takeoff, one technician removed the wooded lock pin on the rudder but did remove the one on the stabilizer as this wooded lock pin was put by another ground technician and he was not aware of this. Furthermore, none of the crew member proceeded to a walk around check before departure and the pilots failed to check the stabilizers prior to takeoff.

Ground accident of a Douglas C-47A-30-DL in Croydon

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1947 at 1141 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
OK-WDB
Flight Phase:
Parking
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
9503
YOM:
1943
Location:
Croydon
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Parked on the apron and subject to a maintenance control by two technicians, the aircraft was destroyed by fire after being hit by a Spencer Airways C-47 registered VP-YFD that crashed on takeoff. Both technicians were slightly injured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-85-DL in Croydon: 12 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1947 at 1141 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Spencer Airways
Registration:
VP-YFD
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Croydon – Rome – Salisbury
MSN:
19979
YOM:
1944
Location:
Croydon
Surrey
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
18
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
12
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from runway 12, while climbing to a height of some 100 feet in snow falls, the aircraft banked right, stalled and crashed on a parked CSA C-47 registered OK-WDB. Two technicians were working on the Czech C-47 for a maintenance control. Both aircraft were destroyed by fire. While both technicians were slightly injured, 11 people on board the VP-YFD were injured while 12 others were killed, among them the captain, Edward Spencer, founder and owner of this company based in Salisbury, Rhodesia. The aircraft was still registered NC32975.
Probable cause:
On rotation, the aircraft was in stall conditions due to the combination of several factors such as heavy weight, fuselage, wings and empennage covered by snow, poor techniques on part of the pilot, poor judgement and fatigue on part of the crew.
The Ministry of Civil Aviation instituted "an inspection of Certificates of Airworthiness, Certificates of Safety and crew licences" at airfields under their control to ensure these documents were in order. The aircraft did not have a CofA, nor a valid Certificate of Safety, and no member of crew held a Navigators licence nor a licence to sign a Certificate of Safety.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 near Zunyi: 19 killed

Date & Time: Jan 25, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
138
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Guangzhou - Chongqing
Location:
Zunyi
Guizhou
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
Enroute, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and crashed in the region of Zunyi. The wreckage was found in an isolated area two weeks later. All 19 occupants have been killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Allentown

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Allegheny Air Cargo
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Allentown-Lehigh Valley (Bethlehem-Easton)
Pennsylvania
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the crew informed ground that smoke spread into the cabin. The captain decided to make an emergency landing in a field near Allentown. The aircraft was destroyed by a post crash fire while all three crew members were unhurt.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-208A in Jones Beach

Date & Time: Jan 5, 1947 at 2208 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
NC21746
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
New York-La Guardia – Baltimore – Washington DC – Nashville
MSN:
2104
YOM:
1939
Flight number:
AA203
Location:
Jones Beach
New York
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
6715
Captain / Total hours on type:
5580.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
3850
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1500
Aircraft flight hours:
25547
Circumstances:
At 2107, the American Airlines’ radio station at New York received a message from the flight on very high frequency, indicating that it had no range reception or operative direction finding facilities. Because it had become apparent that precipitation static was so severe that it would not be possible to use the Philadelphia radio range for an approach to the Municipal Airport, the flight advised that it was continuing northeastward until visual contact with the ground was established. During this transmission, Flight 203 reported its position as in the vicinity of Lake-Hurst, New Jersey. When asked by the New York station of American Airlines at 2115 if he were “contact” in the South Jersey area, the pilot of Flight 203 replied that he had not been “contact” since leaving Washington. At 2128, Flight 203 declared an emergency, reporting that it had 70 gallons of gas aboard, with little or no D/F or radio range reception, and requested a report on the “neatest weather that is 1,000 feet or better.” While maintaining a northeasterly heading, the flight descended to an altitude of 200 feet. However, inasmuch as instrument conditions were still being encountered at that altitude, the pilot climbed again to an altitude of 1,500 feet. By the time the American Airlines’ New York station was able to provide the flight with weather reports in the area northeast of La Guardia Airport, the pilot had decided to effect an emergency landing without further delay. At this time there was but 30 minutes gas supply remaining on board. The pilot turned to a heading of 110 degrees toward the Atlantic Ocean in order to permit a descent to be made over open water. At 2156, after having maintained an east-southeasterly heading for 15 minutes, the flight advised the American Airlines’ station at New York that it intended to drop a flare. Upon dropping the flare and following it to the surface, the pilot found that the flight was over water. The pilot turned, therefore, to a heading of 300 degrees and, with the aircraft landing lights shining on the surface, continued westbound until sighting a shore line. He immediately maneuvered the aircraft to align it with the beach, which was oriented approximately 60 degrees to the left of his flight path, and completed an emergency landing at 2208 with his wheels retracted. Being unaware of his location, the pilot requested that bearings be taken in order to identify the position of the aircraft. At 2245, American Airlines was advised by telephone that Flight 203 had been located on the beach approximately one mile east of the Coast Guard Station at Jones Beach, New York.
Probable cause:
On the basis of the above findings, the Board determines that the probable cause of this accident was the inability of the pilot to land at a prepared landing area due to the loss of radio navigational reference resulting from severe static interference. A contributing factor was the saturation of navigational facilities in the New York-Washington area due to the existence of a large number of emergencies which prevented an early landing. A further contributing factor was the failure of the company and the United States Weather Bureau to forecast adequately the high level conditions affecting this area due to insufficient number of radiosonde stations in the northeastern states.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A in Whitchurch

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1947
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
G-AGJU
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
12169
YOM:
1943
Location:
Whitchurch AFB (Bristol)
Gloucestershire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On touchdown, the aircraft went out of control and came to rest. All three crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A in Walshville: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 28, 1946
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Kansas City Southern Skyways
Registration:
NC58024
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Flint – Saint Louis
MSN:
9378
YOM:
1943
Location:
Walshville
Illinois
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Enroute from Flint to Saint Louis on a cargo flight, the crew encountered poor weather with low visibility and severe icing conditions. The crew informed ATC about his situation and lost control of the aircraft that crashed in a prairie. The aircraft was destroyed and both crewmen were killed.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control may have been caused by the simultaneous failure of both engines, because the carburetors was stuck by icing.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 in Kiangwan: 19 killed

Date & Time: Dec 25, 1946 at 2000 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
B-140
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Chongqing – Kiangwan
Location:
Kiangwan AFB
Shanghai
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
19
Circumstances:
The crew started the approach to Kiangwan Airport in poor visibility due to thick fog. Apparently in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground, the crew reduced his altitude when the aircraft hit the slope of a hill few km short of runway threshold. Both pilots and 17 passengers were killed while 11 other people were injured.
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