Date & Time:
Mar 25, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
15585
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Seymchan - Yakutsk
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route from Seymchan to Yakutsk, while cruising at an altitude of 17,000 feet, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Verkhoyansk. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
The presumed cause of the accident is the pilot's loss of consciousness. His unfortunate decision to fly at 17,000 feet, an altitude at which he should have relied solely on instruments, led to rapid fatigue due to poor visibility. Visibility would not have been worse between 10,000 and 12,000 feet, but his oxygen requirements would have been lower, which might not have caused him to lose consciousness.
