List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3 in 1977

This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-3^A that have taken place in 1977, including aircraft based on the DC-3 airframe such as the Douglas C-47 Skytrain and Lisunov Li-2. Military accidents are included; and hijackings and incidents of terrorism are covered, although acts of war are outside the scope of this list.

January

• On 6 January, Douglas C-47A CP-728 of Transportes Aéreos Itenez was damaged beyond economic repair in a belly landing at La Senda. The aircraft was on a domestic cargo flight from Viru Viru International Airport, Santa Cruz de la Sierra to Teniente Jorge Henrich Arauz Airport, Trinidad when the pilot decided to return to Viru Viru following a problem with the port engine. The starboard engine also malfunctioned and it was then impossible to maintain height despite cargo being jettisoned. All four people on board survived.^[1]
• On 6 January, Douglas C-47B R7034 of No. 3 Squadron,^[2] Royal Rhodesian Air Force collided with electricity poles shortly after take-off from Buffalo Range Airport and crashed, killing all three crew.^[3]
• On 15 January, Douglas DC-3 N73KW of Air Sunshine crashed shortly after take-off from Miami International Airport, Florida on a domestic scheduled passenger flight to Key West International Airport, Florida. All 33 people on board survived.^[4]

February

Kenn Borek Air Super DC-3

• On 7 February, Douglas C-47A PK-NDH of Merpati Nusantara Airlines was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Tanjung Santan Airport.^[5]
• On 14 February, Douglas C-47A PK-WWK of National Air Charter was damaged beyond economic repair.^[6] As of 2000, the aircraft was reported to still be in existence.^[7]
• On 17 February, Douglas C-47B FAC-1125 of SATENA was damaged beyond economic repair in a take-off accident at Fabio Alberto León Bentley Airport, Mitú. All 28 people on board survived.^[8]
• On 28 February, Douglas C-47A C-FNAR of Survair crashed near Salluit, Quebec in white-out conditions. Four of the ten people on board were killed.^[9]
• On 28 February, Douglas C-47A C-FIQR of Kenn Borek Air crashed near Saglone, Quebec.^[10]

March

• On 1 March, Douglas C-47A 7O-ABF of Alyemda crashed into the Red Sea shortly after take-off from Aden International Airport. The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight. All 19 people on board were killed.^[11]
• On 25 March, Douglas C-53 N692A of Island Traders was damaged beyond economic repair in a heavy landing at Cyril E. King Airport, Charlotte Amalie.^[12]
• On 28 March, Douglas C-47A N57131 of Emery Worldwide was destroyed by fire following a taxiing accident at O'Hare International Airport, Chicago, Illinois. The aircraft was due to operate a cargo flight.^[13]
• On 31 March, the pilot of a Swiftair flight shot and killed seven passengers whilst the aircraft was in flight. The Douglas DC-3 suffered minor damage. It was repaired and returned to service.^[14]

April

• On 5 April, Douglas C-47A VT-EEL of the National Remote Sensing Agency flew into a hill in the Velikonda Range at Edavlli, killing all ten people on board. The aircraft was on a survey flight.^[15]
• On 10 April, Douglas DC-3 HK-556 of Taxi Aéreo El Venado flew into Rio Guape at an altitude of 7,200 feet (2,200 m). The aircraft was on a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight from La Vanguardia Airport, Villavicencio to El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá. The wreckage was not discovered for 35 days. All 35 people on board were killed.^[16]
• On 11 April, Douglas C-47B C-FXXT of Superior Airways was damaged beyond economic repair in an aborted take-off at Wunnummin Lake Airport.^[17]
• On 16 April, Douglas C-47A B-247 of Far Eastern Air Transport was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Tainan Airport.^[18]
• On 25 April, a Douglas DC-3 of Ethiopian Airlines was hijacked on a flight from Alula Aba Airport, Mek'ele to Gondar Airport. Three people were killed, and the hijackers were overpowered.^[19]

May

• On 12 May, Douglas R4D-1 C-FBKV of Patricia Air Services was written off in an accident at Pickle Lake Airport, Ontario. One person was killed.^[20]
• On 25 May, Douglas C-47 IJ297 of the Indian Air Force was written off in an accident.^[21]
• On 30 May, Douglas C-47A R3702 of No. 3 Squadron Rhodesian Air Force was hit by a RPG-7 fired by ZANLA guerillas during take-off from Mapai. One person was killed.^[2][22]

June

• On 10 June, Douglas C-47 5U-AAJ of Air Niger was written off in a forced landing at Founkoueye following an engine failure. The aircraft was on a scheduled passenger flight which had departed from Tahoua Airport. All 21 people on board survived.^[23]
• On 12 June, Douglas DC-3A N33649 was written off in a forced landing at Vero Beach, Florida whilst being used to smuggle drugs.^[24]
• On 12 June, Douglas C-47A ET-AAP of Ethiopian Airlines was reported to have been damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Kabri Dar Airport, Kebri Dahar when the port undercarriage collapsed.^[25]
• On 17 June, Douglas C-47 HK-1511 of Taxi Aéreo Nacional was damaged beyond economic repair in an accident at Condonto Airport.^[26]
• On 21 June, a Douglas C-47 of the Royal Thai Air Force crashed on take-off from Don Muang AFB, Bangkok. Five of the twelve people on board were killed when the aircraft collided with a Fairchild C-123 Provider.^[27]
• On 27 June, Douglas C-47D L2-11/96/45941 of the Royal Thai Air Force crashed in the Lamlukka District when on a flight from Udorn AFB to Don Muang AFB.^[28]

July

• On 18 July, Douglas DC-3A N459 crashed at Sheridan, Wyoming whilst engaged in spraying. Both crew were killed and the aircraft was destroyed by fire.^[29]
• On 19 July, Douglas C-47A HK-166 of Lineas Aéreas Orientales crashed on approach to Fabio Alberto León Airport, Mitú. All ten people on board survived.^[30]
• On 20 July, Douglas R4D-1 ET-ABF of Ethiopian Airlines flew into a mountain near Tubo Milkie whilst on a domestic cargo flight from Tippi Airport to Jimma Airport. All five people on board were killed.^[31]
• On 25 July, Douglas C-47 FAH-301 of the Fuerza Aérea Hondureña crashed shortly after take-off from Yoro Airport due to the failure of the port engine. The aircraft was on a military flight to Toncontín International Airport, Tegucigalpa. Twenty-five of the 40 people on board were killed.^[32]

August

• On 12 August, Douglas C-53D ET-AGR of the United Nations' Ethiopian Relief and Rehabilitation Commission was destroyed in an air raid at Jijiga Airport.^[33]
• On 14 August, Douglas C-47A ET-AAP of Ethiopian Airlines was reportedly shot down at Massawa.^[25]

September

• On 21 September, Douglas C-47 N723A of NJ Airlines crashed at Narsarsuaq Airport.^[34]
• On 30 September, Douglas C-47A TG-AKA of Aviateca was damaged beyond economic repair in a landing accident at Flores International Airport, Santa Elena. One of the three crew members was killed.^[35]

October

Air Vietnam DC-3

• On 2 October, Douglas C-47A N65121 was shot down by the Fuerza Aérea Colombiana near Villavicencio whilst being used on a drug‑smuggling flight. Both crew were killed.^[36]
• On 23 October, Douglas C-47 C-FSAW of Geoterrex flew into a mountain near Manidar whilst on a survey flight. All three crew were killed.^[37]
• / On 28 October, a Douglas DC-3 of Air Vietnam was hijacked to U-Tapao International Airport where the four hijackers surrendered. Two people on board the aircraft were killed in the hijacking. The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Tan Son Nhat International Airport, Ho Chi Minh City to Phu Quoc Airport, Duong Dong.^[38]

November

• On 20 November, Douglas C-47B FAC-1127 of SATENA crashed in Colombia.^[39]
• On 20 November, Douglas C-47A FAC-1120 of SATENA crashed at Llanos del Yori, Columbia.^[40]

December

• On 13 December, Douglas C-53 N51071 of National Jet Services crashed on take-off from Evansville Regional Airport, Indiana whilst on a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight to Nashville Metropolitan Airport, Tennessee. All 29 people on board were killed. The cause of the accident was that the gust locks had not been removed and the aircraft was improperly loaded, resulting in an aft centre of gravity.^[41]

See also

• List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3 in the 1970s

References

Notes

^Note A Military versions of the DC-3 were known as C-47 Skytrain, C-48, C-49, C-50, C-51, C-52, C-53 Skytrooper, C-68, C-84, C-117 Super Dakota and YC-129 by the United States Army Air Forces and as the R4D by the United States Navy. In Royal Air Force (and other British Commonwealth air forces') service, these aircraft were known as Dakotas.