Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Lockheed 14 Super Electra

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

YOM:

1930

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft departed Sverdlovsk with three passengers on board, three crew members, a load of 257 kg of fret and 38 kg of mail. Few minutes after takeoff, the engine failed. The crew reduced his altitude and attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in an open field located in Aramil, southeast of Sverdlovsk Airport. All six occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

Engine failure caused by a malfunction of the crankshaft. It was determined that the total weight of the aircraft was 150 kg above MTOW, which caused the failure of the crankshaft because the engine was subject to high contribution.

Ground accident of a Lockheed 14-WG3 Super Electra in Qingdao

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

J-BDOB

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Landing (descent or approach)

Schedule:

Qingdao – Beijing – Tokyo

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The twin engine aircraft named 'Ishikari' suffered a ground accident at Tsing Tao (Qingdao) Airport while taxiing and came to rest upside down. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mge in Quito

Date & Time: Dec 10, 1938

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

HC-SAB

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Guayaquil – Quito

MSN:

5915

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

For unknown reasons, the three engine aircraft named 'Ecuador' crashed upon landing at Quito-Cotocollao Airport. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five occupants were injured, the copilot seriously.

Crash of a Nakajima AT-2 off Kuba Island: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 8, 1938 at 0900 LT

Type of aircraft:

Nakajima Ki-34 (AT-2)

Operator:

Registration:

J-BDOH

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Fukuoka – Taipeh

MSN:

1418.1

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising over the East China Sea, the crew encountered technical problems with an engine. The pilot elected to divert to Naha but eventually ditched the airplane off Kuba Island, Okinawa. Two passengers were rescued while 10 others occupants were killed. The aircraft named 'Fuji' was lost.

Probable cause:

Engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor S-1 off Manila

Date & Time: Dec 6, 1938 at 2225 LT

Type of aircraft:

Focke-Wulf Fw.200 Condor

Operator:

Registration:

D-ACON

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Landing (descent or approach)

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Tokyo – Manila – Hanoi – Karachi – Basra – Berlin

MSN:

2000

YOM:

1938

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was returning to Germany following a promotional tour in Far East. While approaching Manila, all four engines stopped. The Captain ditched the aircraft off Manille. All eight occupants were rescued and the aircraft named 'Brandenburg' was damaged beyond repair.

Probable cause:

It appears that the engine failure was caused by a mismanagement of the fuel system (fuel selector) on part of the crew.

Crash of a Junkers JU.52/3mte in Vienna

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1938 at 2356 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.52

Operator:

Registration:

D-ANOY

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Berlin – Vienna – Athens – Baghdad

MSN:

5663

YOM:

1937

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Vienna-Schwechat Airport at night, the aircraft impacted the ground, lost its undercarriage and slid for few dozen metres before coming to rest, bursting into flames. All eight occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Poor judgement on part of the flying crew who continued the approach at a too low altitude.

Crash of a Lockheed 10E Electra in Mexico City: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 2, 1938 at 0755 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed 10 Electra

Operator:

Registration:

XA-BAU

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mexico City-Benito Juarez

Schedule:

Mexico City – Mérida

MSN:

1041

YOM:

1937

Location:

Federal District of Mexico City

Country:

Mexico

Region:

Central America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The takeoff procedure was started in poor visibility due to foggy conditions. During the takeoff roll, the aircraft deviated from the runway centerline and immediately after rotation, followed a wrong heading. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the twin engine aircraft hit the hill of Peñon de los Baños located less than a km north of the airfield. The aircraft was totally destroyed and all eight occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The accident was attributed to the foggy weather conditions in which it had occurred, in combination with human error. Specifically, the highly experienced pilot of XA-BAU had proceeded with the flight despite the fact that aircraft were not being authorized to take off due to the poor visibility. During the ground roll, the Electra had deviated to the left of the runway, and after becoming airborne assumed a heading that took it towards the rapidly rising terrain. There was no evidence of significant technical failure in the aircraft that could have factored in the crash.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3A-191 off Point Reyes: 5 killed

Date & Time: Nov 29, 1938 at 0530 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

NC16066

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Seattle – Portland – Medford – Sacramento – Oakland – San Francisco – Fresno – Bakersfield – Los Angeles – San Diego

MSN:

1906

YOM:

1937

Flight number:

UA006

Location:

Point Reyes

California

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:

8649

Captain / Total hours on type:

442.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

3284

Copilot / Total hours on type:

291

Circumstances:

While flying at night, the crew failed to realize that he was following the wrong track to Oakland and was now over the sea. Both engines failed in flight, forcing the pilot to ditch the airplane off Point Reyes. Five occupants were killed, among them two crew members. The captain and a passenger survived.
Crew:
Charles B. Stead, pilot,
Lloyd E. Jones, copilot, †
Frona B. Clay, stewardess. †

Probable cause:

Failure of the pilot to definitely establish the position of the aircraft through standard orientation procedures within a reasonable time after intersecting a leg of the Oakland radio range at 0317LT, and of company flight dispatchers, charged with the responsibilities of directing the operation of the trip, to properly safeguard the flight, resulting in forced landing of the aircraft at sea due to exhausted fuel supply.

Final Report:

Crash of a Junkers JU.90V2 in Bathurst: 12 killed

Date & Time: Nov 26, 1938 at 1520 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.90

Operator:

Registration:

D-AIVI

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site: