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

Date & Time: May 1, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADVD
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
London – Cairo – Mombasa – Dar es-Salaam – Lumbo – Maputo – Johannesburg
MSN:
S.821
YOM:
1935
Location:
Lumbo
Nampula
Country:
Mozambique
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
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:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
2607
YOM:
1929
Location:
Villavicencio
Meta
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The single engine aircraft named 'Vanguardia' crashed upon landing at Villavicencio-La Vanguardia Airport. Occupant fate unknown.

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:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Roboré – Santa Cruz
MSN:
2756
YOM:
1933
Location:
Chochis
Santa Cruz
Country:
Bolivia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
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:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
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:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
9
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
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:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Barranquilla – Barrancabermeja – Honda – Bogotá
Location:
Manzanares
Caldas
Country:
Colombia
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
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:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Desert
Schedule:
Arica – Iquique
MSN:
220
YOM:
1937
Location:
Pampa de Camarones
Región de Arica y Parinacota
Country:
Chile
Region:
South America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route from Iquique to Arica, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing following an engine failure. The airplane crash landed in a desert area located in Pampa de Camarones, some 50 km south of Arica. All six occupants escaped uninjured while the twin engine aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Hector Lopehandía, pilot.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat off Batavia

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Short S.23 Empire Flying Boat
Operator:
Registration:
G-ADUY
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
S.816
YOM:
1935
Location:
Jakarta
City District of Jakarta
Country:
Indonesia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The seaplane aircraft named 'Capella' was engaged in an international schedule flight on behalf of Qantas. While taxiing in the harbor of Batavia (Jakarta), the aircraft collided with an unknown floating object. The captain abandoned the departure procedure and returned to the harbor when the airplane partially sank. All eight occupants evacuated safely and the float plane was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Collision with an unknown floating object while taxiing for takeoff.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mge in Weining: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1939
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
XXIII
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Chongqing – Kunming
MSN:
4074
YOM:
1935
Location:
Weining
Guizhou
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising in bad weather conditions, the three engine aircraft named 'Chiao T'ung 1' impacted the slope of a mountain located near Weining. Both crew members were injured and all four passengers were killed.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3m in Roure: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 24, 1939 at 0745 LT
Type of aircraft:
Junkers JU.52
Operator:
Registration:
D-ALUS
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Palma de Majorca – Barcelona – Genoa – Rome – Berlin
MSN:
5210
YOM:
1937
Location:
Nice
Alpes-Maritimes
Country:
France
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from Palma to Berlin with intermediate stops in Barcelona, Genoa and Rome. Among the passengers were German and Italian citizens. While cruising north of Nice, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with fog, snow falls and low clouds. The crew tried several times to contact the radio station in Genoa without success, and was unable to fix his real position. While cruising at a height of 700 metres, the three engine aircraft impacted three larches, lost its undercarriage, stalled and crashed in a snow covered terrain located between the villages of Roure and Saint Sauveur, in the Mercantour National Park, bursting into flames. SAR operations were initiated but the first rescuers, soldiers from the French 141st Alpine Infantry Regiment, arrived on scene in the morning of March 4, 1939. The aircraft was found partially destroyed by fire and all 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lothar Lessman, pilot,
Hermann Grünewald, copilot,
Willy Wohlecke, mechanic.
Passengers:
Walter Uhl,
Erich Regenhardt,
Paul Timmier,
Oscar Berti,
Willem Bodden,
Werner Kubenik,
Michael Hagel.
Probable cause:
French commission concluded the accident was due to a navigation error on part of the crew. This was caused by the poor weather conditions and low visibility in the region at the time of the accident. In such conditions, crew was unable to maintain visual contact with the ground. Also, a failure of the navigation instrument may have contributed to the accident. It was concluded the aircraft was not performing any spy or reconnaissance mission, but only a liaison flight between Spain, Italy and Germany.
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