ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3) PH-TFA Oslo-Fornebu Airport (FBU)
ASN logo
 
 
Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Sunday 20 November 1949
Time:16:56
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
Operator:Aero Holland
Registration: PH-TFA
MSN: 13462
First flight: 1944
Total airframe hrs:1697
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Crew:Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 30 / Occupants: 31
Total:Fatalities: 34 / Occupants: 35
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:31,5 km (19.7 mls) S of Oslo-Fornebu Airport (FBU) (   Norway)
Phase: Approach (APR)
Nature:Int'l Non Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Brussel-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR), Belgium
Destination airport:Oslo-Fornebu Airport (FBU/ENFB), Norway
Narrative:
A Douglas C-47A (DC-3), operated by Aero Holland, was destroyed in an accident near Oslo, Norway. All but one of the 35 occupants were killed in the accident.
The airplane was chartered to fly kids from Tunisia to Norway for a holiday. The flight departed Tunis Airport at 01:21 UTC and landed at Brussels, Belgium for refuelling at 09:45 UTC. At 12:50 the DC-3 departed Brussels on an IFR flight to Oslo, Norway with a planned en route altitude of 11.000 feet.
En route over the Netherlands, the crew requested a clearance for 3000 feet and to continue VFR. The controller at Amsterdam agreed and the IFR flight plan was cancelled.
Radio contact with Oslo was established at 15:40 UTC. Altitude at that time was 2000 feet. The conditions at Oslo-Fornebu Airport were fine with a visibility of 12-15 km. Cloud base was 380 m (1250 feet). At 16:50 UTC the crew requested a QDM bearing, which was transmitted to the crew three minutes later. When the runway lights were switched on the radio operator had to switch to battery power, causing a radio outage the lasted several seconds.
The flight could no longer be contacted and was reported overdue.
The wreckage was found on November 22. One boy had survived the accident.

Probable Cause:

The Dutch aviation board concluded that the crew had attempted to descend below the cloud base during their approach to Fornebu. Safety altitude was 900 m (2950 feet) in the area, but the cloud base (8/8) was at 750 m (2460 feet). At 400 m (1310 feet) there were still some clouds (2-3/8). The flight descended to over high ground until it struck a wooded slope and crashed.

Classification:
VFR flight in IMC
Controlled Flight Into Terrain (CFIT) - Mountain

Sources:
» Raad voor de Luchtvaart Uitspraak Ongeval PH-TFA


Photos

photo of Douglas-C-47A-25-DK-PH-TFA
accident date: 20-11-1949
type: Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
registration: PH-TFA
photo of Douglas-C-47A-25-DK-PH-TFA
accident date: 20-11-1949
type: Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
registration: PH-TFA
photo of Douglas-C-47A-25-DK-PH-TFA
accident date: 20-11-1949
type: Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
registration: PH-TFA
 

Video, social media

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 Brussel-Zaventem Airport to Oslo-Fornebu Airport as the crow flies is 1064 km (665 miles).
Accident location: Exact; as reported in the official accident report.

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: languages

Share

Douglas DC-3

  • ca 13.000 built
  • 2788th loss
  • 957th fatal accident
  • 3rd worst accident (at the time)
  • 19th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 Norway
  • 2nd worst accident (at the time)
  • 6th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:

CONNECT WITH US: FSF on social media FSF Facebook FSF Twitter FSF Youtube FSF LinkedIn FSF Instagram

©2024 Flight Safety Foundation

1920 Ballenger Av, 4th Fl.
Alexandria, Virginia 22314
www.FlightSafety.org