Scheduled Revenue Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Lockheed 14 Super Electra

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Auckland – Singapore – Calcutta – London

MSN:

S.822

YOM:

1936

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The seaplane was approaching Hoogly River in Calcutta in strong winds. Upon landing, it went out of control and sank. All eight occupants were rescued and the aircraft was lost.

Probable cause:

Loss of control upon landing due to strong winds.

Crash of a Lockheed 14-WG3B Super Electra in Fukuoka: 6 killed

Date & Time: May 17, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

J-BCOZ

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Fukuoka – Seoul

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after liftoff from Fukuoka Airport, the twin engine airplane collided with the perimeter fence and crashed, bursting into flames. The pilot, the mechanic and four passengers were killed while five other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Dewoitine D.338 in Argana: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 2, 1939 at 1540 LT

Type of aircraft:

Dewoitine D.338

Operator:

Registration:

F-ARIC

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Dakar – Casablanca – Paris

MSN:

YOM:

1939

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The three engine aircraft departed Dakar at 0600LT bound for Casablanca. At 1530LT, the crew was informed by a radio message that weather was deteriorating ahead with clouds and negative temperatures. Few minutes later, the aircraft went out of control and crashed in a mountainous area located near Argana, some 50 km northeast of Agadir. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew:
Yves Ripault, pilot,
Roger Perrot, radio navigator,
Eugène Courson, engineer.

Probable cause:

Loss of control in flight following sudden icing conditions caused by unpredictable weather.

Crash of a Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat off Lumbo: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

G-ADVD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg

MSN:

S.821

YOM:

1935

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was forced to abandon a first landing attempt off Lumbo for unknown reason. During the second attempt, the seaplane named 'Challenger' impacted the water surface and came to rest off the Ilha de Mocambique Island. Two crew members, the radio officer Tom Webb and the flight clerc George Knight were killed while all four other occupants were injured. The cockpit separated from the fuselage upon impact.

Crash of a Junkers W.34 in Villavicencio

Date & Time: Apr 12, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.34

Operator:

Registration:

Vanguardia

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

MSN:

2607

YOM:

1929

Location:

Villavicencio

Crash of a Junkers W.33 in Chochis: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 10, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Junkers W.33

Operator:

Registration:

CB-19

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Roboré – Santa Cruz

MSN:

2756

YOM:

1933

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at night from Roboré to Santa Cruz, the airplane named 'Muruata' crashed in unknown circumstances near Chochis. The pilot and a female passenger were injured while the radio navigator and three children were killed.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-112 in Oklahoma City: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1939 at 0248 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-2

Operator:

Registration:

NC13727

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Site:

Schedule:

Chicago – Kansas City – Wichita – Oklahoma City – Dallas

MSN:

1253

YOM:

1934

Flight number:

BR001

Location:

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

9060

Captain / Total hours on type:

1253.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

2244

Copilot / Total hours on type:

526

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the left engine exploded. The crew attempted to return when, during the last turn at 115°, at a speed of 80 knots, the left wing stalled and hit the ground. The aircraft cartwheeled and crashed some 600 metres from the runway end, bursting into flames. The stewardess and seven passengers were killed.
Crew:
Claude H. Seaton, pilot,
Malcolm Wallace, copilot,
Louise Zarr, stewardess.

Probable cause:

A stall, induced by a violent yaw, resulting in loss of control from which the pilot was unable to recover.
Contributing factors are:
Failure of hold down studs on the number six cylinder of the left engine which resulted in the cylinder being forced off, carrying with it the lower third of the engine ring cowling. Displacement of the remaining portion of the left engine ring cowling, which caused buffeting, as a result of disturbances of the air flow over the tail surfaces, and increased the drag on that side of the aircraft. Severe vibration induced by the continued rotation of the propeller. Lack of individual propeller pitch controls which would have permitted the pilot to increase the pitch of the propeller on the inoperative engine, thereby reducing the speed of rotation and consequently the vibration from the effect of "windmilling".

Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing 247D in Manzanares: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1939 at 1345 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing 247

Operator:

Registration:

C-149

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Barranquilla – Barrancabermeja – Honda – Bogotá

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft named 'Antonio de Ollala' was performing a flight from Barranquilla to Bogotá with intermediate stops in Barrancabermeja and Honda. The aircraft departed Barrancabermeja at 1240LT and was scheduled to land in Honda at 1350LT. On approach, the aircraft went out of control and crashed for unknown reason in Manzanares, west of Honda. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight occupants were killed.
Crew:
Samuel Zerda, pilot,
Ulrich Schneider, copilot and radio operator.
Passengers:
Roberto Blanco,
Barbarita Rodriguez de Blanco,
Margot Blanco Rodriguez,
R. F. Beaujon,
Gerard Frobel,
Mr. Lozano.

Crash of a Junkers JU.86Z-1 in Pampa de Camarones

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1939

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.86

Operator:

Registration:

CC-LAN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors: