Incident Overview
Date: Saturday 19 December 1942
Aircraft Type: Lockheed 18-08-01 Lodestar
Owner/operator: South African Air Force – SAAF
Registration Number: 248
Location: 13 km off Kisumu Airport (KIS) [Lake Victoria] –
ÿ Kenya
Phase of Flight: Initial climb
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 12
Component Affected: Under-carriage safety lock circuitUnder-carriage safety lock circuit
Category: Accident
A Lodestar aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Kisumu Airport (KIS) in Kavirondo Gulf, Lake Victoria. The aircraft experienced an electrical failure in the under-carriage safety lock circuit, preventing it from raising after takeoff. The pilot was unable to maintain sufficient height and speed during a night take-off under unfavorable flying conditions, leading to the accident.A Lodestar aircraft crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Kisumu Airport (KIS) in Kavirondo Gulf, Lake Victoria. The aircraft experienced an electrical failure in the under-carriage safety lock circuit, preventing it from raising after takeoff. The pilot was unable to maintain sufficient height and speed during a night take-off under unfavorable flying conditions, leading to the accident.
Description
Crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from Kisumu Airport (KIS). The airplane came down in Kavirondo Gulf, Lake Victoria. It appeared that the undercarriage could not be raised after takeoff because of an electrical failure in the under-carriage safety lock circuit. The Lodestar was returning to South Africa from Cairo, Egypt. PROBABLE CAUSE: “The combined difficulties of endeavouring to raise the under-carriage and maintain height and speed with a fully loaded aircraft during a night take-off under unfavourable flying conditions gave rise to an error of judgement in which the pilot allowed the aircraft to fly into the water”.
Primary Cause
The combined difficulties of attempting to raise the undercarriage and maintain height and speed with a fully loaded aircraft during a night take-off under unfavorable flying conditions gave rise to an error of judgement in which the pilot allowed the aircraft to fly into the water.The combined difficulties of attempting to raise the undercarriage and maintain height and speed with a fully loaded aircraft during a night take-off under unfavorable flying conditions gave rise to an error of judgement in which the pilot allowed the aircraft to fly into the water.Share on:
