Accident description
Last updated: 19 May 2013
| Status: | |
| Date: | 15 SEP 1945 |
| Time: | 00:08 |
| Type: | Douglas C-47B-45-DK |
| Operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 45-1011 |
| C/n / msn: | 17014/34277 |
| First flight: | 1945 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-90C |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 20 / Occupants: 21 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 23 / Occupants: 24 |
| Airplane damage: | Written off |
| Airplane fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 1,5 km (0.9 mls) N of Kansas City-Fairfax Field, KS (KCK) (United States of America) |
| Phase: | Initial climb (ICL) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Kansas City-Fairfax Field, KS (KCK), United States of America |
| Denver-Lowry Field, CO, United States of America |
After takeoff from Fairfax Field (KCK) runway 35, the C-47 barely climbed. Unable to gain height the airplane contacted trees and crashed on the north bank of the Missouri River.
The right engine was not developing enough power on takeoff, possibly because it had been fitted with plugs that were not recommended by the manufacturer.
Sources:
» Military aviation disasters : significant losses since 1908 / D. Gero, 1999
» USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present / Joe Baugher
» Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945, Vol. 3: August 1944-December 1945 / Anthony J. Mireles
Sample newspaper article from Newspaperarchive.com
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Kansas City-Fairfax Field, KS to Denver-Lowry Field, CO as the crow flies is 884 km (552 miles).
Distance from Kansas City-Fairfax Field, KS to Denver-Lowry Field, CO as the crow flies is 884 km (552 miles).
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.
languages:
United States of America
Share
Douglas DC-3
- 1080th loss
- ca 13.000 built
- 17th worst accident (at the time)
- 139th worst accident (currently)
United States of America- 9th worst accident (at the time)
- 150th worst accident (currently)