Incident Overview

Date: Tuesday 21 February 1967
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47B-20-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator: Sudan Airways
Registration Number: ST-AAM
Location: Khartoum – ÿ Sudan
Phase of Flight: Approach
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 2
Component Affected: Aircraft engine, control surfaces (flaps), and ignition system.Aircraft engine, control surfaces (flaps), and ignition system.
Category: Accident
A C-47 aircraft was on a training flight, approaching runway 36 with one engine idling, and subsequently lost height after a left turn. It clipped two houses and a lorry, resulting in a crash near the cemetery wall. The incident is attributed to a possible combination of factors, including a potentially incorrect turn, loss of height due to flap selection, throttle/mixture control errors by the pilot during training, and a possible ignition switch malfunction.A C-47 aircraft was on a training flight, approaching runway 36 with one engine idling, and subsequently lost height after a left turn. It clipped two houses and a lorry, resulting in a crash near the cemetery wall. The incident is attributed to a possible combination of factors, including a potentially incorrect turn, loss of height due to flap selection, throttle/mixture control errors by the pilot during training, and a possible ignition switch malfunction.

Description

The C-47 was being used on a training flight and was on the third approach to runway 36 with one engine idling when the plane turned to the left, losing height. The aircraft clipped the roof of two houses and stuck a lorry before crashing near the cemetery wall. PROBABLE CAUSE: “Due to the lack of conclusive evidence it is not possible to formulate an opinion as to the direct cause of the accident. From the evidence available it is possible that one or more of the following items could have contributed tot the cause of the accident. 1) No satisfactory reason has yet been put forward for the initial turn of the aircraft to the port. 2) The loss of height after the turn was probably caused by the selection of the flaps from 1/4 position to the ‘UP’ position. 3) From witness’ statement it would appear that at some time after the aircraft was starting to re-commence climbing on one or both of the engines ‘coughed’. This could have been caused by the inadvertent mishandling of either the throttle and/or mixture control levers by the pilot under training as he left his seat. The possibility also exists that he may have pulled himself up by the ignition master switch, at the same time inadvertently switching ‘off’ the port ignition switch. (evidence of an explosion in the port exhaust system could have been caused by either of the above events) 4) If anything like the possibility mentioned in item 3) did in fact occur it would have been just at the critical time when the Training captain was re-gaining control of the aircraft, and could have presented him with a situation from which it was impossible to recover, bearing in mind the proximity of obstructions and the fact that he was alone in the cockpit.”

Primary Cause

Incorrect turn to the port, potential flap selection error, throttle/mixture control errors during training, and ignition switch malfunction.Incorrect turn to the port, potential flap selection error, throttle/mixture control errors during training, and ignition switch malfunction.

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