Sabena aircraft accident near Gao

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Sabena aircraft accident near Gao
Douglas DC-3D OO-AUM Sabena Ringway 7/8/49 edited-3.jpg

A similar machine to the Sabena
Accident summary
Accident type Loss of control after engine failure
place near Gao , French West Africa , today: MaliFrench West AfricaFrench West Africa MaliMali 
date July 24, 1951
Fatalities 3
Survivors 0
Aircraft
Aircraft type United StatesUnited States Douglas DC-3-455
operator BelgiumBelgium Sabena
Mark BelgiumBelgium OO-CBA
Departure airport Brussels Airport , BelgiumBelgiumBelgium 
Stopover Gao Airport , French West Africa , today: MaliFrench West AfricaFrench West Africa MaliMali 
Destination airport Léopoldville Airport , Belgian Congo
Belgian CongoBelgian Congo 
Passengers 0
crew 3
Lists of aviation accidents

The Sabena aircraft accident at Gao occurred on July 24, 1951, when a Douglas DC-3-455 of the Sabena , with which an intercontinental cargo flight was carried out from Brussels to Léopoldville , had an accident after a scheduled stop in Gao when taking off from Gao airport . All three occupants on board the machine were killed in the accident.

machine

The aircraft was a civilian Douglas DC-3-455, which had been converted into a military aircraft of the C-49K series during the Second World War and later returned to civilian status. The machine with the serial number 6327 was built during the Second World War in 1942 at the Douglas Aircraft Company and then delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) with the military aircraft registration number 43-2002 . After the Second World War, the USAAF categorized the machine as excess inventory and phased out it. Initially, the plan was to sell the aircraft with the new aircraft registration number NC34980 to the original customer, Trans World Airlines , but the deal did not materialize. Later the DC-3 with the registration number N34980 passed to an unknown owner. Eventually the Sabena took over the machine and registered it with the registration number OO-CBA . The twin-engine medium -haul aircraft was powered by two Pratt & Whitney R-1820 Twin Wasp double radial engines, each with an output of 1,200 hp.

Inmates

There was only a three-person crew on board the cargo plane, consisting of a flight captain, a first officer and a radio operator.

the accident

Shortly after taking off from Runway 25 of Gao Airport, the machine turned 90 degrees to the left in the initial climb at an altitude of 10 meters and then climbed to an altitude of 30 meters while turning 90 degrees to the left again, causing she turned into the opposite approach to the runway. Shortly thereafter, however, the machine spun a third time, got into a side glide and lost altitude. The DC-3 then hit the ground with its left wing tip and went up in flames. All three crew members were killed.

root cause

It turned out that the right engine had failed shortly after rotating . There was a leak in the hydraulic system. Hydraulic fluid splashed onto the cockpit windows and temporarily impaired the view of the pilots, who then lost control of the aircraft.

swell