Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Dibrugarh

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1959
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HJ243
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Location:
Dibrugarh-Mohanbari
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While approaching Dibrugarh-Mohanbari Airbase, the airplane went out of control and crashed in the Brahmapoutre River, few km from the airfield. All occupants from the 11th Squadron were evacuated while the aircraft was destroyed.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.89A Dragon Rapide in Dibrugarh: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 9, 1959
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.89 Dragon Rapide
Operator:
Jokai Assam Tea Company
Registration:
VT-ARY
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Private
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
6681
YOM:
1944
Location:
Dibrugarh-Mohanbari
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances while approaching Dibrugarh-Mohanbari Airbase. Both occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster in Chennai

Date & Time: Sep 8, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
VT-DIA
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
3094
YOM:
1943
Location:
Chennai
Tamil Nadu
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
27
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route to Madras, the primary hydraulic system failed. The crew failed to identify the failure properly and after touchdown at Madras Airport, the brake systems were partially inoperative. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the airplane overran, struck obstacles, lost its undercarriage and came to a halt. All 31 occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Failure of the primary hydraulic system in flight due a wrong installed gasket.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL in Dhaka: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jul 9, 1958 at 1405 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CYM
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Agartala – Dhaka
MSN:
19317
YOM:
1943
Location:
Dhaka
Dhaka
Country:
Bangladesh
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While approaching Dhaka Airport, weather conditions suddenly deteriorated. In thunderstorm activity, the crew lost control of the airplane that crashed few km from the airfield. All three crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Loss of control due to in-flight structural failure caused by atmospheric turbulences.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-50-DL near Damroh: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1958 at 1100 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-COJ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mohanbari – Damroh
MSN:
10051
YOM:
1943
Location:
Damroh
Arunachal Pradesh
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Captain / Total flying hours:
7131
Captain / Total hours on type:
6833.00
Copilot / Total flying hours:
2115
Copilot / Total hours on type:
1797
Aircraft flight hours:
12576
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from Mohanbari at 0902 hours Indian standard time for a supply dropping sortie to Damroh. It was in contact with Mohanbari at 1028 hours when it was over Pasighat awaiting the weather to clear over Damroh. There was no further contact. At about 1345 hours the Duty Officer, Jorhat Control Tower received a message from Assistant Political Officer, Damroh that the aircraft had crashed at 1100 hours and four crew had been killed. In all there had been 3 flight crew and 4 ejection crew aboard the aircraft. One of the three seriously injured survivors died subsequently. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
While manoeuvring at a low height in mountainous terrain during a supply dropping mission the port wing grazed the side of a hill thus causing the aircraft to slew and crash. A contributory factor might have been the mismanagement of the fuel system which caused temporary loss of engine power and height.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Myitkyina

Date & Time: Mar 27, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
HJ252
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Myitkyina
Kachin State
Country:
Myanmar
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Following a navigational error, while cruising in the northeast part of India, the aircraft continued over Burma. Due to fuel exhaustion, the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed on the bank of the Irrawady River, in the region of Myitkyina, and came to rest. All occupants were rescued and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-85-DL near Kathmandu: 20 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-CYN
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Shimla-Katmandou
MSN:
19988
YOM:
1944
Location:
Kathmandu
Bagmati
Country:
Nepal
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
16
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Kathmandu in poor weather conditions when the airplane crashed on a mountainous area located about 20 km from the airport. Following a navigational error on part of the pilots, the airplane followed a wrong approach path to Kathmandu Airport and went into the wrong valley. At the last moment, the pilot-in-command made a sharp turn to avoid the mountain but the aircraft stalled due to an insufficient speed and crashed on a rocky slope. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all 20 occupants have been killed.
Probable cause:
Navigation error on part of the flying crew. Lack of visibility caused by poor weather conditions was considered as a contributing factor.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator near Palakkad: 10 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1958
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
HE842
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Sulur - Sulur
Location:
Palakkad
Kerala
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew departed Sulur AFB, Tamil Nadu, on a training mission. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the pilot-in-command decided to gain altitude when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain shrouded in clouds and located in the region of Palakkad. All ten crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK in Calcutta: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957 at 0530 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
VT-AUA
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Calcutta - Pasighat
MSN:
13245
YOM:
1944
Location:
Calcutta-Dum Dum
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew received the permission to line up on runway 01L at Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport to perform a cargo flight to Pasighat. One minute later, the aircraft was struck by an Airwork Handley Page H.P.81 Hermes IV/A that was landing on the same runway. The C-47 was destroyed upon impact and all four crew members were killed. The Hermes stopped few dozen yards farther and was later considered as damaged beyond repair. At the time of the accident, the visibility was 2,000 yards by night.
Probable cause:
An error on the part of the Commander of the Hermes aircraft in turning down the R/T during the final stage of the radar assisted approach and in deciding to continue the approach under conditions which did not enable him to identify positively the correct runway.
Final Report:

Crash of a De Havilland DH.104 Dove 1 in the Nilgiri Mountains: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 1, 1957
Type of aircraft:
De Havilland DH.104 Dove
Operator:
Registration:
HW524
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Coimbatore – Mangalore
MSN:
04244
YOM:
1949
Location:
Nilgiri Hills
Tamil Nadu
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Few minutes after his departure from Coimbatore Airport, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the aircraft struck a mountain located in the Nilgiri Hills. The wreckage was found four days later and all three occupants have been killed. There were heavy rain falls at the time of the accident.
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