Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 16 October 1945
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-20-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 42-92929
Location: 96 km NW off Saipan, Mariana Islands –
ÿ Pacific Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 17
Component Affected: Left engine accessoryLeft engine accessory
Category: Accident
A plane was descending to 7500 feet near Saipan when a fire erupted in its accessory section, causing the engine to fall off the wing. Passengers and crew initiated life vest procedures while the fire escalated uncontrollably. Four crew members and eight passengers evacuated before the wing folded back, resulting in a crash into the sea. Six survivors were recovered.A plane was descending to 7500 feet near Saipan when a fire erupted in its accessory section, causing the engine to fall off the wing. Passengers and crew initiated life vest procedures while the fire escalated uncontrollably. Four crew members and eight passengers evacuated before the wing folded back, resulting in a crash into the sea. Six survivors were recovered.
Description
While the airplane was descending from 9000 feet to 7500 feet, nearing the destination of Saipan, a fire erupted in the accessory section of the left engine. The main entrance door was released and the passengers and crew started putting on their life vests and parachutes. Wile the occupants were bailing out the fire had become uncontrollable. The engine fell off the wing but the fire continued to burn. Four crew members and eight passengers bailed out before the left wing folded back. The airplane crashed into the sea. Six occupants were picked up, five of them alive.
Source of Information
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asphttp://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.aspPrimary Cause
Fire in the accessory section of the left engine.Fire in the accessory section of the left engine.Share on:
