Incident Overview
Date: Friday 17 December 1943
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-DL (DC-3)
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 43-30739
Location: Sydney Island –
ÿ Kiribati
Phase of Flight: Manoeuvring (airshow, firefighting, ag.ops.)
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
Component Affected: Right wingRight wing
Category: Accident
A C-47 aircraft experienced a significant incident during a sightseeing flight to Sydney Island. After circling the island, it clipped a tree on the beach, resulting in the tree being sheared off and the aircraft impacting the water. The plane then descended through the trees, causing further damage and ultimately burning out.A C-47 aircraft experienced a significant incident during a sightseeing flight to Sydney Island. After circling the island, it clipped a tree on the beach, resulting in the tree being sheared off and the aircraft impacting the water. The plane then descended through the trees, causing further damage and ultimately burning out.
Description
The C-47 had just undergone repairs and was taken for a sightseeing flight to Sydney Island. After circling the island a few times, it came in very low over the water. The right wing clipped a tree, outside of the motor, at the beach breaking the tree off about thirty feet from the ground. The plane went up over the trees for a distance of about 150 yards and started coming down through the trees again, shearing off the trees until it came to rest approximately 376 yards from the first tree which was struck. The airplane caught fire and burned out.
Source of Information
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asphttp://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.aspPrimary Cause
Tree strike ? a collision with a tree during a circling flight.Tree strike ? a collision with a tree during a circling flight.Share on:
