Incident Overview

Date: Friday 13 June 1952
Aircraft Type: Douglas Tp 79 (C-47-DL)
Owner/operator: Svensk Flygvapnet (Swedish Air Force)
Registration Number: 79001
Location: 56 km E off Gotska Sand”n island [Baltic Sea] – ÿ Atlantic Ocean
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Component Affected: DC-3 aircraft (specifically the landing gear and engine)DC-3 aircraft (specifically the landing gear and engine)
On June 18, 2003, a DC-3 aircraft was shot down by a Soviet Mig-15bis fighter jet over the Baltic Sea during a search for the missing aircraft. The incident began with a series of attacks by MiG-15s, culminating in a forced landing by the West German ship. The pilot, attempting to land at sea, was ultimately forced to land on a small island, resulting in the aircraft’s sinking. The Soviet Union initially denied involvement, but the wreckage was recovered and analyzed, revealing a failure to execute a safe landing due to damage sustained from the MiG-15’s fire. Initial investigation points to a failed emergency landing caused by the damage received from the firing of the MiG-15bis.On June 18, 2003, a DC-3 aircraft was shot down by a Soviet Mig-15bis fighter jet over the Baltic Sea during a search for the missing aircraft. The incident began with a series of attacks by MiG-15s, culminating in a forced landing by the West German ship. The pilot, attempting to land at sea, was ultimately forced to land on a small island, resulting in the aircraft’s sinking. The Soviet Union initially denied involvement, but the wreckage was recovered and analyzed, revealing a failure to execute a safe landing due to damage sustained from the MiG-15’s fire. Initial investigation points to a failed emergency landing caused by the damage received from the firing of the MiG-15bis.

Description

The ELINT-plane was surveying Soviet military installations in what are now the Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. It was shot down by a Soviet Mig-15bis fighter jet over the Baltic Sea. A search for the lost DC-3 began immediately both by sea and by air with two Consolidated Catalina planes. On the 16 June, one of the Catalinas was attacked by two soviet MiG-15s over international water north-west of Dag”. They were pursued to the west under continued firing and was finally forced to land. The crew was picked up by a West German ship; 10 minutes later the Catalina sank. The Soviet Union denied involvement in the shootdown of the DC-3 until 1991. The wreckage was found on June 18, 2003 and later salvaged. It’s on display at the Swedish Air Force Museum in Link”ping. According to a 2007 technical investigation, the cause of the crash was the failed emergency landing as a result of the damage received from the firing of the Soviet fighter aircraft of type MiG-15bis. The shooting took place with 23 and 37 mm grenades. At the time of the shooting, at least one explosive grenade struck in the area at the left engine oil tank, resulting in a heavy fire in the oil tank and possibly that fuel may have sprayed from fired fuel lines and fuel filling pipes. The hydraulic lines probably caused damage to the landing gear. Due to the fire, the pilot has probably intended to land at sea as soon as possible. It is possible that low clouds and fog banks have caused the pilot to make eye contact with the water surface at a late stage and therefore have not been able to start picking up and moving out. The landing has been made more difficult by the landing gear being folded out and possibly by the fact that the left engine may have been turned off with a non-flung propeller

Source of Information

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1010_031010_swedishspyplane_2.htmlhttp://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/10/1010_031010_swedishspyplane_2.html

Primary Cause

Failed emergency landing due to damage from MiG-15bis fire.Failed emergency landing due to damage from MiG-15bis fire.

Share on:

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *