Narrative:
The C-47B transport plane departed Australia carrying passengers returning from leave and a cargo of fresh food. The airplane landed at Merauke Airfield in the evening and took off again at roughly 21:40 hours, bound for Biak. That night, there were stratocumulus cloud cover to 12,000' with 6-8/10 cover and intermittent rains. Last radio contact was at 22:40. The aircraft failed to arrive at Biak and searches were fruitless.
On March 2, 1962 the wreckage of this C-47 was discovered on a mountain peak at 12,000 feet.
» Pacificwrecks.com
| Status: | |
| Date: | Friday 22 June 1945 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-47B-1-DL (DC-3) |
| Operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 43-16230 |
| MSN: | 20696 |
| First flight: | 1944 |
| Crew: | Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4 |
| Passengers: | Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3 |
| Total: | Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Aircraft fate: | Written off (damaged beyond repair) |
| Location: | Irian Jaya ( Indonesia)
|
| Phase: | En route (ENR) |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Merauke-Mopah Airport (MKQ/WAKK), Indonesia |
| Biak (unknown airport), Indonesia |
The C-47B transport plane departed Australia carrying passengers returning from leave and a cargo of fresh food. The airplane landed at Merauke Airfield in the evening and took off again at roughly 21:40 hours, bound for Biak. That night, there were stratocumulus cloud cover to 12,000' with 6-8/10 cover and intermittent rains. Last radio contact was at 22:40. The aircraft failed to arrive at Biak and searches were fruitless.
On March 2, 1962 the wreckage of this C-47 was discovered on a mountain peak at 12,000 feet.
Sources:
» The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 - the first seventy years / J.M. Gradidge» Pacificwrecks.com
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.
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