Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 14 August 1946
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47A-50-DL (DC-3)
Owner/operator: British Overseas Airways Corporation – BOAC
Registration Number: G-AGHT
Location: Malta-Luqa Airport (MLA) –
ÿ Malta
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: The DC-3 aircraft’s engines (both port and starboard).The DC-3 aircraft’s engines (both port and starboard).
Category: Accident
A DC-3 aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure of both engines shortly after takeoff, resulting in a hard landing and fire. The pilot initiated a diving turn to the left, leading to significant damage. The incident was attributed to fuel starvation, specifically due to inadequate auxiliary fuel tank management.A DC-3 aircraft experienced a catastrophic failure of both engines shortly after takeoff, resulting in a hard landing and fire. The pilot initiated a diving turn to the left, leading to significant damage. The incident was attributed to fuel starvation, specifically due to inadequate auxiliary fuel tank management.
Description
The no. 1 engine failed shortly after takeoff. On final the remaining engine also lost power. The pilot attempted to reach the runway by making a diving turn to the left. The DC-3 landed hard, bounced and slid and caught fire. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The port engine and, later, the starboard engine failed as the result of fuel starvation. Circumstantial evidence suggests strongly that this was caused by the inadvertent selection of the auxiliary fuel tanks which at that time contained only a small amount of fuel.”
Primary Cause
Fuel starvation caused by the failure of both engines, exacerbated by the selection of a small amount of fuel in the auxiliary tanks.Fuel starvation caused by the failure of both engines, exacerbated by the selection of a small amount of fuel in the auxiliary tanks.Share on:
