ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-15-DK (DC-3) ZS-BYX Monte Argentario
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Status:
Date:Friday 31 December 1948
Time:17:52
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-15-DK (DC-3)
Operator:Pan African Air Charter
Registration: ZS-BYX
MSN: 12587
First flight: 1944
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Crew:Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Passengers:Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8
Total:Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:Monte Argentario (   Italy)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Roma-Ciampino Airport (CIA/LIRA), Italy
Destination airport:Nice Airport (NCE/LFMN), France
Narrative:
Douglas C-47 ZS-BYX departed Athens, Greece at 12:10 for a flight to Nice, France with a technical stop at Rome-Ciampino (CIA) ,Italy. At 17:30 the crew informed Nice that they were proceeding back to Ciampino because of weather and sea conditions. Eyewitnesses saw the aircraft flying low over Orbetello Lagoon until it crashed near Monte Argentario.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "a) Poor visibility; b) Special geographical features in area making recognition of terrain difficult and likely to mislead pilot into believing he was out at sea and could descend to a lower altitude."

Classification:
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

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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 Roma-Ciampino Airport to Nice Airport as the crow flies is 482 km (301 miles).
Accident location: Approximate; accuracy within a few kilometers.

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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Douglas DC-3

  • ca 13.000 built
  • 2710th loss
  • 912th fatal accident
  • 187th worst accident (at the time)
  • 408th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 Italy
  • 17th worst accident (at the time)
  • 49th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

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