Incident Overview

Description
The DC-3 left for a training flight at Poitiers; on board were a pilot-in-command/instructor, a flight mechanic, four trainee pilots and two passengers. With a trainee pilot at the controls, a break-through and landing on one engine was carried out. The landing was discontinued because the gear failed to lock down too late. When power was re-applied the DC-3 veered the right and crashed into the buildings of an army munitions dump. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The accident was due to the successive appearance of two incidents during a training exercise: slowness of the landing gear to extend; failure of the right engine to pick up power. The crew which included a pilot under training and a mechanic with limited experience, did not properly co-ordinate their actions. The instructor, because of his position in the cockpit, was unable to assist.”
Primary Cause
Slowness of the landing gear to extend, combined with failure of the right engine to pick up power.Slowness of the landing gear to extend, combined with failure of the right engine to pick up power.Share on: