Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 12 August 1944
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-50-DL (DC-3)
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 42-24176
Location: Boothby Graffoe, Lincolnshire –
ÿ United Kingdom
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Component Affected: AircraftAircraft
Category: Accident
A Douglas C-47A transport plane experienced a catastrophic crash during a night formation sortie near Spanhoe. The pilot initiated a maneuver to avoid a weather front by lowering the aircraft and turning to the left. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft striking the ground, with an altimeter reading indicating it was approximately 45 feet below local terrain.A Douglas C-47A transport plane experienced a catastrophic crash during a night formation sortie near Spanhoe. The pilot initiated a maneuver to avoid a weather front by lowering the aircraft and turning to the left. This maneuver resulted in the aircraft striking the ground, with an altimeter reading indicating it was approximately 45 feet below local terrain.
Description
The Douglas C-47A transport plane was one of 18 aircraft airborne from Spanhoe on a night formation sortie. The flight was approaching a weather front at 1500 feet altitude when the leader tried to avoid it by letting down to a lower altitude and turning to the left. During the turn, the flight flew into rain, and the pilot of 42-24176 left the formation as the rain on his windscreen distorted his view of the other aircraft. The aircraft hit the ground. An altimeter was retrieved from the wreckage reading some 45 feet below the height of the local terrain.
Source of Information
http://www.bcar.org.uk/1944-incident-logs, http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asphttp://www.bcar.org.uk/1944-incident-logs, http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.aspPrimary Cause
Pilot error ? a turn resulted in the aircraft striking the ground.Pilot error ? a turn resulted in the aircraft striking the ground.Share on:
