Narrative:
A Douglas C-47 transport plane was destroyed when it broke up in flight near Naper, NB. All four crew members and 24 passengers were killed. The flight encountered a wall of thunderstorms. The pilot lost control of the airplane, probably due to severe thunderstorm and/or a lightning strike.
Airframe failure
Loss of control
» 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
| Status: | |
| Date: | Thursday 3 August 1944 |
| Time: | 20:30 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-47A-30-DL (DC-3) |
| Operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-23652 |
| MSN: | 9514 |
| First flight: | 1943 |
| Engines: | 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 24 / Occupants: 24 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 28 / Occupants: 28 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | 5 km (3.1 mls) W of Naper, NE ( United States of America)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Bruning Army Air Base, NE, United States of America |
| Pierre AAB, SD (PIR/KPIR), United States of America |
A Douglas C-47 transport plane was destroyed when it broke up in flight near Naper, NB. All four crew members and 24 passengers were killed. The flight encountered a wall of thunderstorms. The pilot lost control of the airplane, probably due to severe thunderstorm and/or a lightning strike.
Classification:
ThunderstormAirframe failure
Loss of control
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
Photos
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: 
Share
Douglas DC-3
- ca 13.000 built
- 909th loss
- 311th fatal accident
- 4th worst accident (at the time)
- 65th worst accident (currently)
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2023 Flight Safety Foundation