SABENA - Société Anonyme Belge d&#039;Exploitation de la Navigation Aérienne

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

04083

YOM:

1947

Location:

Kahemba

Bandundu

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The approach to Kahemba was completed in heavy rain falls when the wipers failed. The airplane went out of control and crashed few km from the airfield. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Failure of the wipers during heavy rain falls.

Crash of a Convair CV-240-12 in Zurich: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 19, 1953 at 1853 LT

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-240

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AWO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brussels – Zurich

MSN:

128

YOM:

1949

Location:

Zurich

Country:

Switzerland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Zurich-Kloten Airport, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions. Twice, the approach controller informed the crew about his insufficient altitude but the pilot's responses were indistincts. At this time, the aircraft was about 1,500 feet below the minimum descent altitude. On final, the airplane hit the ground, lost its left wing and crashed in a field located 1,500 meters short of runway 14 threshold. 37 occupants were unhurt, six passengers were injured and a young girl aged three (Mrs. Delsaux) was killed. The aircraft was destroyed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to bad weather and night.

Probable cause:

Apparently in order to maintain a visual contact with the ground, the flight crew decided to descend below the glide path, passing below the minimum descend altitude. The approach was then completed at an insufficient height until the final impact with the ground, in violation of the published procedures. Poor visibility caused by night and marginal weather conditions was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Convair CV-240-12 in Frankfurt: 44 killed

Date & Time: Oct 14, 1953 at 1454 LT

Type of aircraft:

Convair CV-240

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AWQ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Salzburg – Frankfurt – Brussels

MSN:

154

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Frankfurt-Main Airport, while in initial climb, the crew noticed a loss of power on both engines. In the mean time, the crew raised the flaps according to procedures. The aircraft then stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area located in Kelsterbach, about three km north of the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 44 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

The loss of power may be attributed to the heavy deposit of lead on the sparking plugs. During takeoff, as the plugs warmed up, circuit was formed by the metal deposits, resulting in the short circuiting of the plugs. There was nothing to show any other contributory causes. A contributory cause of the crash may have been the pilot's decision to continue the takeoff, and the probable retraction of the landing flaps at extensively low speed and low altitude, unless the loss of power by both engines in the phase immediately before the crash was so great that the disaster was unavoidable. There is no evidence that the lead coating process in the sparking plugs occurred suddenly. The investigation showed that the process had been continuous. It was not possible to determine, from the data available, whether the periods specified by the makers of the engines for overhaul of plugs should be considered adequate in all cases.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK near Kikwit: 15 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1952 at 1207 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBN

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Costermansville – Léopoldville

MSN:

13450

YOM:

1944

Flight number:

SN425

Location:

Kikwit

Bandundu

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

8000

Aircraft flight hours:

6940

Circumstances:

At 1205LT, while overflying the Kasai province, the aircraft suffered a technical problem on the right engine where a propeller blade separated and went through the cabin. The airplane went out of control, nosed down and crashed two minutes later in the forest of Dibata located about 20 km from Kikwit. All 15 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Michael Joseph Adendorff, pilot,
Pierre Bisschop, radio navigator,
Willy Fauck, mechanic.
Passengers:
Françoise Devos,
Pierre Devos
Mercédès Dumont,
André Hubens,
Albert Lemaire,
Mrs. Albert Lemaire,
Claude Lemaire,
Anne-Marie Lemaire,
Norman Orne,
André Paquay,
Mrs. André Paquay,
Jacqueline Sailliez.

Probable cause:

The propeller blade severed the cables used to control the elevator, which explains the loss of control. Investigations indicate that the sudden shutdown of the right engine was caused by the upper half of the main connecting rod head becoming jammed between the crankshaft counterweight and the crankcase at the opening of cylinder n°14. The initial cause of the malfunctions observed was the fracture of a lug on piston n°6.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3-455 in Gao: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1951 at 0545 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brussels – Gao – Léopoldville

MSN:

6327

YOM:

1942

Location:

Gao

Country:

Mali

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from runway 25, while climbing to a height of 10 metres, the airplane turn sharply to the left and climbed to a height of 30 metres when it turn again to the left. It lost altitude and hit the ground with its left wing tip before crashing near the runway and bursting into flames. Both pilots were killed while the radio navigator was seriously injured. He died the following day from injuries sustained.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the right engine failed shortly after rotation due to a hydraulic failure. Meanwhile, hydraulic fluid spurted on the cockpit windshield, temporarily reducing the visibility of the pilots who lost control of the airplane.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-60-DL in Aulnay-sous-Bois: 8 killed

Date & Time: Dec 18, 1949 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

OO-AUQ

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Paris – Brussels

MSN:

10241

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Paris-Le Bourget Airport, while climbing at night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed onto a house located in Aulnay-sous-Bois, about 4 km southeast of the airfield. All eight occupants were killed while there were no casualties on the ground.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by a mechanical failure. The investigation confirmed that the aircraft caught fire in flight, that the right side of the airframe broke apart in flight, and that an explosion occurred upon landing.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-5-DK in Kinshasa: 5 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1949 at 0745 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Léopoldville – Elisabethville

MSN:

14600/26045

YOM:

1944

Location:

Kinshasa-Ndolo

Kinshasa City Province

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft encountered problems to gain height. The captain started to turn to the right when the aircraft stalled and crashed inverted near the airport. All three crew members and two passengers were killed while 15 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Loss of power on both engines after liftoff due to the fact that the fuel was contaminated with water. It was determined that a certain amount of water was in the tank at the time of the accident. In addition, the spark plugs were dirty and the electrical contact was poor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-10-DK in Kimbwe: 13 killed

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1948 at 1406 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBL

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Costermansville – Usumbura – Albertville – Manono – Elisabethville

MSN:

12420

YOM:

1944

Location:

Kimbwe

Katanga

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

3040

Circumstances:

The airplane was on its final leg from Manono to Elisabethville. Flying in good weather conditions at a relative low altitude, it entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed inverted in a wooded area located in Kimbwe, 60 km north of E'ville. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 13 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good with few clouds, no turbulence and good visibility.
Crew:
Arthur Deschamps, pilot,
Raoul Gousseau, pilot,
Englebert Rillaerts, flight engineer,
Antoine Tshisahu, steward.

Probable cause:

Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident. However, the following assumptions have been ruled out: in flight fire, loss of element such as wing or stabilizer and/or any airframe vibration which might have come from a faulty weight balance.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-4-1009 in Magazini: 31 killed

Date & Time: May 13, 1948 at 1100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-4

Operator:

Registration:

OO-CBE

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Johannesburg – Léopoldville – Libenge – Brussels

MSN:

42932

YOM:

1946

Country:

Region: