List of incidents involving the Douglas DC-6

The list of incidents with the Douglas DC-6 shows an overview of incidents resulting in death or total loss of Douglas DC-6 aircraft .

During the service life of the DC-6 from 1947 to January 2019 there were 185 total losses of the aircraft. In 98 of them, 2203 people were killed. In contrast, there were no deaths in 87 of the 185 incidents. Examples:

1940s

• On October 24, 1947, a United Air Lines DC-6 ( aircraft registration number NC37510) was in flight from Los Angeles to Chicago when a fire broke out. The plane hit the runway at Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah , 1.5 miles away . All 52 occupants were killed (see also United Air Lines flight 608 ) .

• On June 17, 1948, the crew of a United Air Lines Douglas DC-6 (NC37506) had filled the hold with carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ) due to a fire alarm . During the subsequent descent with the nose tilted downwards, the CO _{2 began} to creep into the cockpit through a valve in the cargo hold , rendering the crew incapable of action. The machine got into an uncontrolled flight condition and crashed into a swath of high voltage lines near Mount Carmel (Pennsylvania) . There were no survivors among the 43 occupants (see also United Air Lines flight 624 ) .

• On July 4, 1948, a two-month-old SAS Scandinavian Airlines (SE-BDA) DC-6 collided with an Avro York C.1 of the Royal Air Force (MW248) in flight over Great Britain . Both machines were approaching Northolt Airport , collided a good 6 kilometers north of the airfield and crashed. All 32 people on board the DC-6 as well as the seven occupants of the York were killed.

1950s

• On June 30, 1951, a United Air Lines DC-6 ( N37543 ) flew due to a course deviation about 80 kilometers northwest of Denver , near Fort Collins , Colorado , against a mountain in the Rocky Mountains . All 5 crew members and 45 passengers died ( see United Air Lines Flight 610 ).

• On August 24, 1951, the pilots of a United Air Lines DC-6B ( N37550 ) on approach to Oakland Airport fell below the prescribed minimum altitude and flew at an altitude of 300 meters into a hill. All 6 crew members and 44 passengers on board were killed.

• On September 1, 1951, a DC-6 of the Mexicana de Aviación ( XA-JOR ) coming from Los Angeles landed in an almost drained lake while approaching Mexico City Airport . All four crew members and 38 passengers survived the crash landing. The plane was beyond repair.

• On February 11, 1952, a National Airlines Douglas DC-6 ( N90891 ) crashed into a residential building in Elizabeth , New Jersey, after taking off from Newark Airport . 29 of the 63 inmates died, as did 4 residents. The causes were an automatic adjustment of the propeller number 3 to reverse thrust, followed by the incorrect shutdown of the functioning engine number 4. This meant that the altitude could not be maintained; the machine crashed into the city.

• On March 22, 1952 at around 10:50 a.m., a type DC-6 passenger aircraft operated by the Dutch airline KLM (PH-TPJ) crashed while approaching Frankfurt Airport between Sachsenhausen and Neu-Isenburg . After colliding with trees, the wreck went up in flames. 36 passengers and nine members of the crew were killed, only two people survived seriously injured. It was the worst civil aircraft accident in Germany to date. The plane was on its way from Johannesburg via Rome to Amsterdam and was supposed to make a stopover in Frankfurt (see KLM flight 592 ) .

• On August 23, 1954, a DC-6B of the Dutch KLM ( PH-DFO ) launched in Shannon crashed into the North Sea off the Dutch coast on the way from New York-Idlewild Airport to Amsterdam . All 21 occupants were killed (see KLM flight 608 ) .

• On December 18, 1954, a Douglas DC-6B of the Italian airline Linee Aeree Italiane ( I-LINE ) collided with the approach lights at New York-Idlewild Airport during its fourth approach attempt in the fog , crashed into the cold water of Jamaica Bay and exploded. Of the 32 people on board, 26 died, 6 survived. The cause of the unstable approach leading to the collision was fatigue of the crew, who were deployed for around 30 hours on the route from Rome via Milan, Paris, Shannon, Gander and Boston to New York.

• On February 13, 1955, a Douglas DC-6 of the Belgian Sabena (OO-SDB) was flown on the way from Brussels to Leopoldville (Congo) via Rome-Ciampino 96 kilometers northeast of this airport at an altitude of 1700 meters into the Monte Terminillo mountain . The crew had partially lost their orientation and had strayed far off course. All 29 inmates were killed.

• On November 1, 1955, a United Air Lines DC-6B (N37559) exploded near Longmont (Colorado) at an altitude of 3300 meters 56 kilometers north of Denver after a bomb had detonated in the hold. All 44 people on board were killed. The bomb was deposited by the son of a passenger who had previously taken out life insurance on his mother (see also United Air Lines flight 629 ) .

• On February 20, 1956, a DC-6B of Transports Aériens Intercontinentaux (TAI) (F-BGOD) was blown into the ground 29 kilometers east of Cairo International Airport . The pilots of the machine coming from Karachi fell below the minimum altitude by 1500 feet (almost 500 meters) on the approach . Of the 64 inmates, 52 were killed. The cause of the accident was a controlled flight into terrain .

• On November 24, 1956, 34 inmates were killed, including the Italian conductor Guido Cantelli , when a DC-6B of the Linee Aeree Italiane (I-LEAD) failed to take off . About 15 seconds after taking off from Paris-Orly airport , the plane sank again and flew 600 meters behind the end of the runway into a house. One passenger survived the crash. The flight was to run from Rome via Paris and Shannon to New York. The cause of the loss of height after taking off could not be clarified.

• On January 15, 1957, a DC-6A / C-118A ( 53-3263 ) was destroyed when two maintenance hangars burned out at McChord Air Force Base . The people present were able to get to safety in time.

• On February 1, 1957, a Northeast Airlines DC-6A ( N34954 ) brushed trees on Rikers Island shortly after taking off from New York-LaGuardia Airport and then hit the ground 60 seconds after take-off. Of the 101 people on board, 20 died.

• On February 19, 1958, a crew member was fatally injured when a DC-6B of the Dutch KLM (PH-DFK) crashed at Cairo-Almaza Airport (see also KLM flight 543 ) .

• On December 26, 1958, a DC-6B of the Union Aéromaritime de Transport (UAT) (F-BGTZ) got caught in a gust roller while taking off from Salisbury Airport (now Harare) during an approaching thunderstorm and lost it further and further Speed. Despite full throttle, she sank to the ground again and caught fire. Coming from Johannesburg , after this stopover at the scene of the accident, the plane was supposed to fly on to Brazzaville and then via Nice to Paris. Three of the seventy inmates were killed.

1960s

• On February 25, 1960 collided a DC-6 / R6D-1 of the United States Navy (Bu 131582) with a Douglas DC-3 / C-47A-25-DK Brazilian REAL (airline) (PP-AXD) , which was on the approach to Rio de Janeiro-Santos Dumont Airport . Both machines crashed, killing 61 people: all 26 people on board the DC-3 and 35 of 38 in the DC-6 died.

• On September 7, 1960 , the propeller of engine no. 3 tore off in flight on a DC-6 of the Aerolíneas Argentinas (LV-ADS) , with which a flight from Asunción in Paraguay to Buenos Aires was carried out. The machine then broke apart in the air and crashed into a field near Salto in Uruguay . All 31 occupants were killed (see also Aerolíneas Argentinas flight 205 ) .

• On September 19, 1960, a US American World Airways DC-6A / B (N90779) was flown 3.7 kilometers northeast of the Guam-Agana Naval Air Station (Mariana Islands) take-off airport into a hill. The machine was on a charter flight for the US Air Force to Wake Island . In this CFIT, Controlled flight into terrain , 80 of the 94 occupants were killed 28, 7 crew members and 73 passengers.

• On July 19, 1961, a Douglas DC-6 of Aerolíneas Argentinas (LV-ADW) broke apart 12 kilometers west of Pardo ( Province of Buenos Aires , Argentina) during a climb due to strong turbulence at an altitude of 4800 m. All 67 occupants died (see also Aerolíneas Argentinas flight 644 ) .

• On September 10, 1961, a US President Airlines DC-6B (N90773) crashed about one minute after taking off from Shannon Airport ( Ireland ). The machine was supposed to fly to Gander ( Newfoundland ) and got into an increasingly steep left turn until it finally crashed 1500 meters from the runway into the River Shannon at an angle of about 90 °. All 83 people on board, 6 crew members and 77 passengers, were killed. The cause of this second worst accident involving a DC-6 is assumed to be a technical defect.

• On April 13, 1963 a DC-6B of the Danish Sterling Airways (OY-EAP) had an accident while landing at Copenhagen-Kastrup Airport . The plane was on a transfer flight from Las Palmas with only three engines running. Just before the runway, altitude and speed had dropped too far. When attempting a go-around with three engines, the airplane tilted sharply to the right and hit the wing tip 50 meters from the runway, whereupon the wing broke. The three-person flight crew survived and the machine was destroyed.

• On May 3, 1963, a Douglas DC-6B of Air Afrique (F-BIAO) was flown on the way from Douala Airport ( Cameroon ) to Lagos ( Nigeria ) 60 kilometers north-northwest of Douala in the Cameroon Mountain. The machine was still climbing when it collided with the volcano at a height of almost 2000 meters. All 55 occupants were killed in this CFIT, controlled flight into terrain .

• On October 2, 1964, a DC-6B of the French Union de Transports Aériens (UTA) (F-BHMS) deviated from the course on the flight from Palma de Mallorca Airport to Port-Étienne (now Nouadhibou , Mauritania ) and collided for about 90 minutes after starting with the 3371 meter high Alcazaba in Spain . All 80 occupants (73 passengers and 7 crew members) were killed. The cause of the accident was never clarified.

• On February 6, 1965, a DC-6B of LAN Chile (now LATAM Airlines ) ( CC-CCG ) flew from Santiago de Chile-Los Cerrillos Airport to Buenos Aires-Ezeiza while climbing at an altitude of 3600 meters (12,000 feet ) against the stratovolcano San José, 80 kilometers east-southeast of Santiago de Chile. All 80 passengers and 7 crew members were killed.

• On July 8, 1965, all 52 occupants of a Douglas DC-6 B of the Canadian Pacific Air Lines (CF-CUQ) died after the tail of the aircraft was separated from the fuselage by a bomb explosion. The machine was on the flight from Vancouver to Prince George (see also Canadian Pacific Air Lines flight 21 ) .

• On February 24, 1967, the crew of a DC-6B operated by Northeast Airlines (N8224H) made an emergency landing in New York after an explosive decompression . All 14 inmates survived. Due to the amount of damage, the aircraft was written off as a total loss.

• On December 23, 1967, a DC-6B of the Danish Sterling Airways (OY-EAN) landed hard on the runway at Gothenburg / Torslanda Airport . The aircraft was irreparably damaged during this second approach attempt. There were no injuries.

• On March 8, 1968 ( GMT ), a DC-6B of the French Air Force (Armée de l'air) ( 43748 ) flew into a hill. The pilots did not follow the prescribed departure procedure for the night take-off from Réunion Airport . Of the 17 inmates, 16 were killed.

• On December 8, 1969, an intact DC-6B of the Greek Olympic Airlines ( SX-DAE ) flew 40 km southeast of Athens-Ellinikon airport while approaching a mountain. All 85 passengers and five crew members were killed. It was a DC-6 accident with the most fatalities. The cause of the accident was a controlled flight off-road (CFIT) .

1970s

• On July 10, 1975, a Lockheed L-188AF Electra freighter of Aerocondor Colombia (HK-1976) suddenly turned right shortly after taking off from Bogota-Eldorado Airport , sank back and crashed into an Aerocosta (HK- 756) . Both planes caught fire and were destroyed. Two of the four crew members on board the Electra were killed.

• On June 8, 1978, a Douglas DC-6BF freighter of the Guatemalan Aviateca (TG-ADA) loaded with horses and cows and launched in Miami got out of control on the final approach to Guatemala City Airport and crashed on a small one in the middle of one Football field located in a residential area. Although the accident occurred in the urban area, apart from the three crew members killed on the ground, no one was injured. The cause of the accident was found to be a shift in the center of gravity on the final approach after the animals, which had not been properly tied down, moved around in the hold (see also flight accident involving a Douglas DC-6 in Guatemala City in 1978 ) .

1980s

Northern Air Cargo's DC-6 crashed on July 20, 1996 , April 1985

• On July 24, 1985, a DC-6B of the Colombian Air Force ( FAC-902 ) coming from Bogota crashed into the jungle 32 kilometers north of the destination Leticia . The machine had been used in civil domestic traffic due to a strike by the Avianca pilots. The trigger was probably the failure of engine no. 3 while flying through a heavy rainfall area. All 80 occupants (76 passengers and 4 crew members) were killed.

1990s

• On May 5, 1990, a DC-6BF freighter of the US Aerial Transit Company (N84BL) crashed into a residential area shortly after taking off from Guatemala City Airport . In addition to the three crew members, 24 people were killed on the ground. The machine was on its way to Miami when engine problems arose (see also a Douglas DC-6 accident in Guatemala City in 1990 ) .

Northern Air Cargo's DC-6 “Swing tail” crashed on September 15, 2001 , June 1989

• On July 20, 1996, engine number 3 of a DC-6A of Northern Air Cargo ( N313RS ) caught fire after taking off from Emmonak Airport . During the subsequent approach to attempt an emergency landing at Russian Mission Airport , the right wing broke off, the aircraft tilted to the right and crashed. All 4 people on board were killed. The cause of the accident was due to material fatigue in the engine and insufficient training of the pilots for emergency situations (see also Northern Air Cargo flight 33 ) .

From 2000

• On September 25, 2001 , the left wing of a DC-6BF of Northern Air Cargo (N867TA) broke off during landing at Alpine airfield , 100 km west of Deadhorse . As a result, the machine turned to the left and slid off the runway. In the subsequent fire, the middle part of the machine burned out, causing irreparable damage and the aircraft had to be written off. All three inmates were able to save themselves and survived. The destroyed machine was one of the only two DC-6s converted to DC-6B-ST ("Swing tail").

Individual evidence

1. ↑ Accident Statistics Douglas DC-6 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 16, 2019.
2. ↑ accident report DC-6 NC37510 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 23 November 2017th
3. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium part 47 (English), December 1992, p. 110.
4. ↑ accident report DC-6 NC37506 , Aviation Safety Network (English) retrieved November 29, 2015.
5. ^ Accident report Collision Northolt, DC-6 SE-BDA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2018.
6. ^ Accident report collision Northolt, Avro York MW248 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2018.
7. ↑ James J. Halley: Broken Wings. Post-War Royal Air Force Accidents . Air-Britain (Historians), Tunbridge Wells, 1999, ISBN 0-85130-290-4 , p. 76.
8. ↑ accident report DC-6 N37543 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 15 January 2018th
9. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium part 53 (English), June 1994, pp. 94/53.
10. ↑ Accident report DC-6 N37550 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 26, 2017.
11. ^ Accident report DC-6 XA-JOR , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 27, 2017.
12. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium (English), June 1994, pp. 94/54.
13. ↑ accident report DC-6 N90891 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 21 August 2017th
14. ^ Accident report DC-6 PH-TPJ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 27, 2016.
15. ^ Accident report DC-6B PH-DFO , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on May 15, 2017.
16. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium (English) part 62, September 1996, p. 96/87.
17. ^ Accident report DC-6B I-LINE , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 22, 2017.
18. ^ Accident report DC-6 OO-SDB , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2018.
19. ↑ Air-Britain Archive: Casualty compendium part 65 (English), June 1997, pp. 97/53.
20. ↑ accident report DC-6B N37559 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 26 August 2017th
21. ^ Accident report DC-6B F-BGOD , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 17, 2017.
22. ^ Accident report DC-6B I-LEAD , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on November 10, 2017.
23. ^ Accident report DC-6A / C-118A 53-3263 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 11, 2018.
24. ↑ accident report DC-6A N34954 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 25 November 2017th
25. ^ Accident report DC-6B PH-DFK , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 23, 2020.
26. ^ Accident report DC-6 F-BGTZ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 18, 2017.
27. ^ Accident report collision Rio, February 25, 1960: DC-3 PP-AXD , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 14, 2019.
28. ^ Accident report collision Rio, February 25, 1960: DC-6 Bu 131582 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 14, 2019.
29. ^ Accident report DC-6 LV-ADS , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 16, 2020.
30. ↑ accident report DC-6 N90779 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 26 October of 2019.
31. ^ Accident report DC-6 LV-ADW , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on February 16, 2020.
32. ↑ accident report DC-6B N90773 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 18 December 2018th
33. ^ Accident report DC-6B OY-EAP , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 24, 2018.
34. ^ Accident report DC-6B F-BIAO , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on September 19, 2019.
35. ^ Accident report DC-6B F-BHMS , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 17, 2017.
36. ^ Accident report DC-6B CC-CCG , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 17, 2017.
37. ^ Accident report DC-6B CF-CUQ , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on December 18, 2015.
38. ↑ accident report DC-6B N8224H , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on March 6 of 2019.
39. ↑ Accident report DC-6B OY-EAN , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 24, 2018.
40. ↑ accident report DC-6B Fraf 43748 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on May 15, 2017th
41. ^ Accident report DC-6B SX-DAE , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 23, 2016.
42. ↑ accident report L-188AF HK-1976 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 13 of 2019.
43. ^ Accident report DC-6 HK-756 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on January 13, 2019.
44. ↑ accident report DC 6BF TG-ADA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on August 2 2020th
45. ^ Accident report DC-6B FAC-902 , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 24, 2018.
46. ↑ accident report DC-6B N84BL , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 18 December 2018th
47. ^ Accident report DC-6 N313RS , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on October 24, 2018.
48. ↑ accident report DC-6 N867TA , Aviation Safety Network (English), accessed on 24 October 2018th