Landing (descent or approach)

Charter/Taxi (Non Scheduled Revenue Flight)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

New York –Chicago – Kansas City – Burbank

MSN:

35931

YOM:

1945

Flight number:

GLA146

Location:

Gage

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:

8000

Captain / Total hours on type:

2750.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

9100

Copilot / Total hours on type:

200

Aircraft flight hours:

21923

Circumstances:

While cruising by night at an altitude of 5,500 feet in good weather conditions, the engine number three caught fire. The crew feathered the propeller and received the permission to divert to Gage municipal Airport for an emergency landing. Following a normal landing, the right main gear collapsed. The aircraft veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All 82 occupants were able to evacuate safely while the aircraft was totally destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

The Board determined that the probable cause of this accident was a bearing failure of the No. 3 engine generator causing extreme frictional heat and the release of inflammable fluid which ignited in flight.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK in Porvenir

Date & Time: May 29, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

CC-CLH

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Región de Magallanes y de la Antártica Chilena

MSN:

11883

YOM:

1943

Location:

Porvenir

Country:

Chile

Region:

South America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The approach to Porvenir Airport was completed in strong crosswinds. On touchdown, the aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All 29 occupants were able to evacuate the cabin without serious injuries but the aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Probable cause:

Caught by strong crosswinds on landing.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3D in Paraparaumu: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 22, 1954 at 0923 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas DC-3

Operator:

Registration:

ZK-AQT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Greater Wellington Regional Council

Schedule:

Christchurch - Paraparaumu

MSN:

15948/32696

YOM:

1945

Flight number:

NZA152

Location:

Paraparaumu-Kapiti Coast

Country:

New Zealand

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Aircraft flight hours:

12732

Circumstances:

On final approach to Paraparaumu Airport, both engines failed simultaneously. Then captain was able to restart the engine but the aircraft lost speed and height. While trying to climb, the aircraft banked right and hit a house, shearing off 12 feet of the right wing. The airplane passed between two houses and eventually crashed in a wooded area. The aircraft was destroyed, three children were killed and all other occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Probable cause:

- Either throughout the flight or a substantial portion of it both engines were drawing fuel from the starboard main tank,
- The selector valves or valve were moved after the engines cut out, and the valves, when found and checked later, indicated a final setting of each engine to its respective port and starboard main tank,
- The total fuel usage recorded for sixty hours of service by the engines of this aircraft prior to this flight establish that the fuel was used normally by each engine from each tank and there was no malfunctioning of the selector equipment,
- The failure of the engines of this aircraft was due to exhaustion of fuel in the starboard main tank, to which both engines had been selected,
- Having regard to the position and condition of the aircraft at the time of engine failure the subsequent accident to the aircraft was inevitable.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Hanoi: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 21, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

F-BEIP

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

4517

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On approach to Hanoi-Gia Lâm Airport, the airplane went out of control and crashed five km southeast of the airfield. The airplane was destroyed and all three crew members were killed. They were completing a cargo flight, carrying a load of empty oil drums.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando in Havana

Date & Time: May 17, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

CU-C556

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Scheduled Revenue Flight

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

MSN:

264

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On touchdown, an undercarriage collapse. The airplane went out of control and came to rest, damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries.

Probable cause:

Undercarriage collapsed on landing.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B-30-DK in Saugaon

Date & Time: May 15, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

VT-DGO

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Calcutta – Saugaon

MSN:

16166/32914

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach, the aircraft was too high and instead of making a go around, the pilot-in-command preferred to land and increased the rate of descent. As the end of the runway was approaching, he raised the undercarriage and completed a belly landing. The aircraft slid for dozen yards before coming to rest. The crew was uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Vickers 648 Varsity T.1 at RAF Wigsley

Date & Time: May 13, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Vickers Varsity

Operator:

Registration:

WF393

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Wigsley - Wigsley

MSN:

552

YOM:

1952

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach, the airplane stalled and hit the ground short of runway threshold. On impact, both wings were sheared off and the aircraft came to rest in flames. All four crew members were injured while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the crew was performing a flapless approach when the stall occurred on short final.

Crash of a Miles M.57 Aerovan IV in Alcañiz: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 11, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Miles M.57 Aerovan

Operator:

Registration:

EC-ABA

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Aerial photography

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Madrid – Alcañiz

MSN:

6392

YOM:

1946

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While descending to Alcañiz, an engine failed. The crew attempted to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crash landed in a field and hit an obstacle before coming to rest. A passenger was killed while three other occupants were injured. They were conducting an aerial photography mission from Madrid.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 at the North Pole

Date & Time: May 8, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Antonov AN-2

Operator:

Registration:

CCCP-N140

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors: