Date: | Tuesday 10 November 1942 |
Time: | |
Type: | Douglas C-47-DL (DC-3) |
Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
Registration: | 41-18564 |
MSN: | 4689 |
Year of manufacture: | 1942 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 23 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
Category: | Accident |
Location: | Mount Obree -
Papua New Guinea
|
Phase: | En route |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | Port Moresby-Wards Airfield |
Destination airport: | Pongani Airfield |
Narrative:The C-47 transport plane, carrying U.S. Army troops from Wards Field to Pongani, was hit by a strong down-draft over the Owen Stanley Range. The aircraft impacted Mount Obree, Papua New Guinea, killing seven of the 23 onboard. Eight men with serious injuries remained at the crash site while two teams of four left, looking for help. After 32 days two men of the first team of four found help. The second party reached the coast on Dec. 14, 1942.
The crash site was discovered in July 1944 but all survivors had died by then.
Sources:
Pacificwrecks.com National Museum of the USAF - The Tragic Story of The Flying Dutchman
The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 - the first seventy years / J.M. Gradidge
Images:
photo (c) USAAF; Mount Obree; 1942; (publicdomain)
Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |