Incident Overview

Date: Friday 20 December 1968
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Kenya Police Air Wing
Registration Number: 5Y-ADI
Location: 2,2 km ENE of Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL) – ÿ Kenya
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Component Affected: Aircraft engine(s)Aircraft engine(s)
Category: Accident
A Kenya Police C-47 aircraft carrying beer, spirits, mineral waters, and cigarettes was lost in a sudden and uncontrolled descent during a supply run to Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft experienced a rapid and dramatic loss of control due to a combination of factors, including an overloaded condition, a load shift, and a stall angle, resulting in a near-vertical dive and catastrophic engine failure.A Kenya Police C-47 aircraft carrying beer, spirits, mineral waters, and cigarettes was lost in a sudden and uncontrolled descent during a supply run to Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft experienced a rapid and dramatic loss of control due to a combination of factors, including an overloaded condition, a load shift, and a stall angle, resulting in a near-vertical dive and catastrophic engine failure.

Description

The Kenya Police Air Wing Douglas C-47 was prepared for a supply run from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to police posts at Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft was loaded by unqualified personnel with a cargo consisting of beer, spirits, mineral waters and cigarettes. At 05:30 UTC the flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 14. The aircraft was seen to climb in a left hand turn at a steep nose up attitude until it entered a patch of clouds at 600 feet. Next it was observed breaking through the clouds in descending spiral. The angle of dive increased as the aircraft descended. It struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude, with both engines under power. The fuel tanks exploded blowing the centre section and outer wings clear of the cabin wreckage. Probable cause: “Following a take-off in an overloaded condition, and whilst flying in an attitude approaching the stall a load shift was experienced which caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft at a height from which recovery was impossible.”

Primary Cause

Overloaded condition and load shift leading to a stall angle and loss of control.Overloaded condition and load shift leading to a stall angle and loss of control.

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