List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3 in 1978

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3^A that have taken place in 1978, including aircraft based on the DC-3 airframe such as the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Lisunov Li-2. Military accidents are included; and hijackings and incidents of terrorism are covered, although acts of war are outside the scope of this list.

January

• On 2 January, Douglas DC-3 N15598 of Aero Virgin Islands ditched in the sea 1,000 feet (300 m) off San Juan. The aircraft was on an international scheduled passenger flight from Saint Thomas Airport, United States Virgin Islands to San Juan. All five people on board survived.^[1] The cause of the accident was that the pilot mismanaged the fuel system, running the starboard tanks dry when there was fuel available in the port tanks.^[2]
• On 27 January,^[3] Douglas DC-3D HK-1351 of SADELCA crashed into a mountain at Cerro Granada,^[4] Caquetá,^[3] killing all twelve people on board. The altitude of the crash site is 6,800 feet (2,100 m), and the mountain was obscured by clouds at the time. The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight.^[4]
• On 28 January,^[5] Douglas C-47 TT-EAB of Air Tchad^[6] was reportedly shot down by rebels near Tibesti.^[5] The damaged aircraft apparently landed at N'Djamena International Airport where it was to be seen in 1980, but has since been scrapped.^[7]

February

• On 8 February, Douglas C-49J N189UM of Aero Service Corporation was damaged beyond repair in a landing accident at Tamanrasset Airport.^[8]
• On 10 February, Douglas C-47A CX-BJH of TAMU crashed shortly after take-off from Artigas Airport on a domestic scheduled passenger flight to Carrasco International Airport, Montevideo. All 44 people on board were killed, making this the second-worst involving a DC-3 and the worst aviation accident in Uruguay at the time.^[9]
• On 21 February, Douglas DC-3 FAC-668 of SATENA crashed at an unknown location in Columbia.^[10]

March

• On 15 March, Douglas C-47 L2/48/18/100937 of the Royal Thai Air Force was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Don Nok AFB. The port engine failed shortly after take-off and an emergency landing was being attempted.^[11]
• On 23 March, Douglas C-47A N1546A of Dominicana Air Services ditched off Grand Turk following an onboard fire. One of the three crew was killed.^[12]

May

• On 19 May, Douglas C-47A VT-DEU of the India Civil Aviation Department crashed at Badkhalsa following a failure of the port engine. All eight people on board were killed.^[13]
• On 30 May, Douglas C-47B TG-LAM of Oneida crashed near Volcán Santo Tomás.^[14]

July

• On 9 July, Douglas C-47A N45873 was damaged beyond repair in a take-off accident at Richmond Municipal Airport. All 42 people on board survived. The aircraft was on a local flight dropping parachutists. The cause of the accident was a jam in the elevator control system.^[15]
• On 20 July, Douglas C-47A TG-PAW of Aero Express was damaged beyond repair in an accident at Lake Peten Itza whilst on a flight from Dos Lagunas Airport to Flores International Airport.^[16]
• On 26 July, Douglas DC-3 TG-AFA of Aviateca overran the runway at Flores International Airport following a birdstrike on take-off and was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair.^[17] The aircraft was later repaired and returned to service.^[18]
• On 28 July, Douglas C-47B F-BIEE crashed into the Mediterranean off Italy whilst on an illegal flight from France to an unknown African destination.^[19]

August

The preserved cockpit of G-AMSM

• On 17 August, Douglas C-47B G-AMSM of Skyways Cargo Airline was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident at Lydd (Ferryfield) Airport.^[20] The nose section of this aircraft is preserved at Brenzett Aeronautical Museum, Kent.^[21]

September

DC-3 of KennBorek Air

• On 18 September, Douglas C-47A C-FCRW of Kenn Borek Air was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Komakuk Airport, Northwest Territories.^[22]
• On 21 September, Douglas DC-3 N407D of Argosy Airlines crashed into the Caribbean Sea whilst on a ferry flight from Fort Lauderdale International Airport to José Martí International Airport, Havana. All four people on board were killed.^[23] The aircraft disappeared off radar screens at 12:43 local time (17:43 UTC). A search was initiated, which USCGC Steadfast coordinated, but was called off on 24 September without any trace of N407D being found.^[24]
• On 24 September, Douglas C-47B G-BFPU was damaged beyond repair in following a forced landing 6.9 nautical miles (12.8 km) north east of Karima following problems with both engines. Following a successful belly landing, the aircraft was destroyed by the subsequent fire.^[25]

October

• On 1 October, Douglas R4D-6 N47Z of Evergreen Air ditched off Fort Walton Beach, Florida following a failure of the electrical system whilst on a flight from Miami International Airport to an unnamed airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico. One of the four people on board was killed.^[26]
• 1978 Finnish Air Force DC-3 crash: On 3 October, Douglas C-47A DO-10 of the Finnish Air Force crashed into Lake Juurusvesi when attempting to return to Kuopio Airport. All 15 on board were killed. The aircraft was on a military flight to Helsinki Airport when an engine failed shortly after take-off and the decision was made to return to Kuopio.^[27]
• On 5 October 1978, Douglas C-47A PK-NDI of Merpati Nusantara Airlines caught fire whilst parked at Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali and was destroyed.^[28]
• On 7 October, Douglas C-47A PT-KVU of RICO Taxi Aéreo was damaged beyond economic repair when it overran the runway on landing at Carlos Prates Airport, Belo Horizonte. All 19 people on board survived.^[29]
• On 15 October, Douglas C-47A ET-AGK of Ethiopian Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Soddu Airport following a hydraulic system failure. The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight. All 32 people on board survived.^[30] The aircraft was later used as an instructional airframe.^[31] As of July 2010, the aircraft is reported to be stored at Addis Ababa.^[32]
• On 25 October, Douglas C-47A ET-AGQ of Ethiopian Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Degahbur Airport. Although the aircraft was on a cargo flight, it was carrying nine passengers and four crew, all of whom survived.^[33]

November

• On 14 November, Douglas C-47A 4W-ABY of Yemen Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Mareb Airport.^[34]
• On 21 November, Douglas C-47A HK-1393 of Taxi Aéreo El Venado crashed into Mount Judio at an altitude of 11,200 feet (3,400 m) whilst on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Camilo Daza International Airport to Santiago Pérez Quiroz Airport. All 28 people on board were killed.^[35]

December

• On 2 December, Douglas C-47A N41447 of SMB Stage Line crashed short of the runway at Des Moines International Airport, Idaho whilst on a cargo flight from Chicago, Illinois.^[36] Airframe icing was a factor in the accident.^[37]
• On 5 December, Douglas C-53 N25656 of Caribe Air Sales crashed shortly after take-off from Sebring Airport, Florida and was destroyed by fire. The gust locks had not been removed before flight and the aircraft was overloaded. All three people on board were killed.^[38]
• On 11 December, Douglas C-49J N133AC of Aircraft Sales and Leasing crashed near Port Mayaca, Florida due to fuel exhaustion. The aircraft was being used to smuggle marijuana at the time and both crew were killed.^[39]
• On 14 December, Douglas C-47A N4996E was written off in a landing in a sugar cane field at Battle Creek, Florida whilst being used to smuggle marijuana.^[40] The pilot was not qualified to fly the aircraft and mismanaged the fuel system. both crew were killed.^[41]

Unknown date

• Douglas C-47A F-BCYX of Trans Europe Air was reported to have been damaged beyond repair at Toulouse-Blagnac Airport sometime during 1978.^[42]

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3 in the 1970s

Notes

^Note A Military versions of the DC-3 were known as C-47 Skytrain, C-48, C-49, C-50, C-51, C-52, C-53 Skytrooper, C-68, C-84, C-117 Super Dakota and YC-129 by the United States Army Air Forces and as the R4D by the United States Navy. In Royal Air Force (and other British Commonwealth air forces') service, these aircraft were known as Dakotas.

References