Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL in the Box Springs Mountains: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 30, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15109
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Madison – Amarillo – San Bernardino
MSN:
19575
YOM:
1944
Location:
Mt Box Springs
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
4
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew left Madison-Truax Field in the day bound for Amarillo to pick up four US Officers who have to fly to the Norton AFB located in San Bernardino. While approaching Norton AFB from the south at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane hit the ground in the Box Springs Mountains. All six occupants were killed.

Crash of a Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso near Nanaimo: 23 killed

Date & Time: Oct 17, 1951 at 1855 LT
Type of aircraft:
Canadian Vickers PBV-1 Canso (OA-10 Canso)
Operator:
Registration:
CF-FOQ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kildala – Vancouver
MSN:
CV-395
YOM:
1941
Flight number:
QCA102
Location:
Nanaimo
British Columbia
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
23
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Kildala at 1532 bound for Vancouver carrying twenty passengers and a crew of three. At 1733 the aircraft reported over Sullivan Bay and gave its ETA Vancouver as 1840. At 1825 the ETA Vancouver was revised to 1903 on account of strong southeast winds. The next and last radio transmission received was at 1848 when the aircraft reported it was 20 miles west of Vancouver at 2,000 feet and requested clearance to the tower frequency. At approximately 1855 hours the aircraft crashed into Mount Benson. All occupants were killed and the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
The probable cause of this accident was the continuance of the flight VFR at night under conditions of restricted visibility. Whilst it cannot be determined conclusively, it is probable that through a navigation error the pilot mistook Nanaimo for Vancouver. This may have been precipitated by inadequate pre-flight preparation in that the latest Meteorological Information was not obtained by the pilot before taking off on the south bound flight.
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-1-DK on Mt Ingeli: 17 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
ZS-AVJ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Port Elizabeth – Durban
MSN:
12016
YOM:
1943
Location:
Mt Ingeli
KwaZulu-Natal
Country:
South Africa
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
13
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
17
Circumstances:
While cruising in clouds, the airplane crashed on Mt Ingeli (2,500 meters high) located about 17 km southeast of Kokstad. The aircraft christened 'Paardeberg' was destroyed and all 17 occupants were killed. It is believed that the accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK in Cerro Blanco: 10 killed

Date & Time: Oct 8, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Aero Transportes
Registration:
XA-GOR
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Mexico City – Minatitlán – Villahermosa
MSN:
14007/25452
YOM:
1944
Location:
Mexico
All Mexico
Country:
Mexico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
En route, the aircraft hit the slope of the Cerro Blanco, in the center of Mexico. All ten occupants were killed.

Crash of an Antonov AN-2 on Mt Hor-Taiga: 2 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1951 at 0950 LT
Type of aircraft:
Antonov AN-2
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-G389
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Geographical / Geophysical / Scientific
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
1 13 473 05
YOM:
18
Location:
Mt Hor-Taiga
Republic of Tuva
Country:
Russia
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Aircraft flight hours:
144
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a geophysical survey flight in the Republic of Tuva on behalf of the Russian Ministry of Geology (Ministerstvo Geologii – MinGeo). While cruising in marginal weather conditions, the single engine aircraft hit with its right main gear the top of Mt Hor-Taiga (2,618 meters high) and crashed into a ravine. The flight engineer was killed while four other occupants were injured. Two of them walked away to find help and came back a day later to evacuate the other survivors. The navigator died from his injuries 16 hours later. The aircraft, brand new, was destroyed.
Probable cause:
It was determined that the accident was caused by a poor flight preparation on part of the crew and the combination of the following factors:
- lack of crew training that failed to guarantee a sufficient flight safety level,
- lack of pilot experience in conducting geophysical survey flights,
- incomplet meteorological informations for mountainous terrain,
- absence of a flight manual and procedures regarding aerial photography missions,
- overconfidence on part of the navigator who had more than five years experience in this type of mission,
- deterioration of weather conditions during flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Mersin: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 6, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Luqa – Nicosia
Location:
Mersin
Mediterranean Region (Akdeniz Bölgesi)
Country:
Turkey
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While on a flight from Luqa to Nicosia, the airplane deviated from the prescribed flight path to the north. While cruising in foggy conditions, the airplane hit the slope of a mountain located in the region of Mersin. Five crew members were killed while two others were injured.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-55-DT Invader near Jeongseon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 1, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-34349
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
27628
YOM:
1944
Location:
Jeongseon
Gangwon (강원도)
Country:
South Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in a mountainous area located near Jeongseon, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
2nd Lt Walter C. Herr,
1st Lt Lovender C. Osburn,
Pfc Thurman N. Simmons,
Cpt Donald F. Winters.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-90-DL in Maedong: 7 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15932
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
20398
YOM:
1944
Location:
Maedong
North Gyeongsang (경상북도)
Country:
South Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew started the descent to Daegu Airport in poor weather conditions when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Maedong, about 26 km northeast of its intended destination. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt George A. Baksankas,
Sgt Henry F. Hatfield Jr.,
S/Sgt Edward D. J. Herb,
1st Lt Francis J. Hunter,
S/Sgt Clarence E. Renfrow,
S/Sgt Herbert C. Turman,
T/Sgt Rolfe M. Watson.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando on Mt Tanazawa: 14 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1951
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
44-77713
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Atsuji – Tachikawa
MSN:
33109
YOM:
1945
Location:
Mt Tanazawa
Kantō
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
14
Circumstances:
While approaching Tachikawa AFB runway 19, the airplane hit the slope of Mt Tanazawa located 28 km northwest of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and all 14 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Gordon G. Bell,
S/Sgt Paul Bettman,
2nd Lt Charles A. Brewer,
Cpt John W. Brown,
Maj Wallace E. Crawford,
M/Sgt Michael A. Doherty,
T/Sgt James T. Lilley,
Cpt William E. Maher,
Lt Gerald A. Martin,
Pfc Cruz J. Martinez,
Cpl Dario C. Monza,
T/Sgt Donovan C. Morrison,
Sgt Thomas A. Mulhern,
2nd Lt Lawrence J. Sassu.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-50-DL Invader near Yangdŏk: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 14, 1951 at 0055 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-34314
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
27593
YOM:
1944
Location:
Yangdŏk
South Pyongan (평안남도)
Country:
North Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
While flying at low height, the twin engine aircraft was hit by antiaircraft fire and crashed in a mountainous region located about 16 km northwest of Yangdŏk. Three crew members were killed while a fourth became POW.
Crew:
Cpt Philip W. Browning, †
M/Sgt George Morar,
1st Lt William D. Mulkins, †
Cpt John S. Walmsley Jr. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy fire.
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