Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 15 May 1948
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-49K (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Mercury Aviation Services
Registration Number: ZS-BWY
Location: 32 km S of Vrede –
ÿ South Africa
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Component Affected: The aircraft’s flight control system and navigation equipment.The aircraft’s flight control system and navigation equipment.
Category: Accident
A Boeing 8000 aircraft, identified as ‘City of Durban’, crashed into Spitzkop mountain in the Witkoppens Mountains due to adverse weather conditions near Durban, South Africa. The aircraft was operating on a deviated course, approximately 8 miles off track.A Boeing 8000 aircraft, identified as ‘City of Durban’, crashed into Spitzkop mountain in the Witkoppens Mountains due to adverse weather conditions near Durban, South Africa. The aircraft was operating on a deviated course, approximately 8 miles off track.
Description
The aircraft was on the Durban-Johannesburg leg of a flight to London when it crashed into Spitzkop mountain in the Witkoppens Mountains. The aircraft, named “City of Durban”, was 8 miles off track in bad weather.
Primary Cause
Bad weather conditions, specifically mountainous terrain and severe turbulence, caused the aircraft to deviate from its designated flight path.Bad weather conditions, specifically mountainous terrain and severe turbulence, caused the aircraft to deviate from its designated flight path.Share on:
