Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 3 June 1944
Aircraft Type: Douglas Dakota III (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Royal Air Force – RAF
Registration Number: FD866
Location: 19 km SE of Mostaganem –
ÿ Algeria
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 17
Component Affected: Radio aidsRadio aids
Category: Accident
An RAF Dakota III, FD866, experienced a catastrophic crash during a routine transport flight from Biskra, Algeria to Oujda, Morocco. The aircraft crashed into a mountain at a height of 5,200 feet, with drifting cloud covering the mountain top. The pilot, who had flown over 100 hours, was reportedly fatigued at the time of the crash. The radio aids were not utilized for navigation.An RAF Dakota III, FD866, experienced a catastrophic crash during a routine transport flight from Biskra, Algeria to Oujda, Morocco. The aircraft crashed into a mountain at a height of 5,200 feet, with drifting cloud covering the mountain top. The pilot, who had flown over 100 hours, was reportedly fatigued at the time of the crash. The radio aids were not utilized for navigation.
Description
An RAF Dakota III, FD866, was flying on a routine transport flight from Biskra, Algeria to Oujda, Morocco. It left Biskra at 06:34Z and crashed into the side of a mountain at a height of 5,200 feet at approximately 08:55Z. The mountain top was covered in drifting cloud at the time of the crash. The aircraft was climbing steeply when it crashed. One passenger survived. The Board of Enquiry commented that the radio aids were not used to assist navigation but that the pilot, who had flown over 100 hrs in the previous month was probably fatigued.
Source of Information
http://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?5626-216-Squadron-Crash-Atlas-Mountainshttp://www.rafcommands.com/forum/showthread.php?5626-216-Squadron-Crash-Atlas-MountainsPrimary Cause
Fatigue of the pilot, combined with the steep climb during the crash, likely contributed to the incident.Fatigue of the pilot, combined with the steep climb during the crash, likely contributed to the incident.Share on:
