ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-DL (DC-3) 43-30761 Batan Island
ASN logo
 

Status:
Date:Saturday 10 February 1945
Time:14:00
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-DL (DC-3)
Operator:United States Army Air Force - USAAF
Registration: 43-30761
MSN: 13912
First flight: 1943
Crew:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 4
Passengers:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 8
Total:Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 12
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:W off Batan Island (   Philippines)
Phase: Unknown (UNK)
Nature:Military
Departure airport:Tacloban Airport (TAC/RPVA), Philippines
Destination airport:Angeles City-Clark Field (CRK/RPMK), Philippines
Narrative:
A USAAF Douglas C-47A departed Leyte Island at 07:00 on a flight to Clark Field. Near Manila Bay the flight ran into rough weather as it flew through clouds for about 30 minutes. Still over water the crew became lost. The radio operated radioed several messages but did receive any response. Meanwhile, the cabin was prepared for a ditching. At 12:10 the crew spotted two small islands and prepared to land on an airstrip there.
A USAAF P-51 Mustang pilot was circling in the area because another P-51 had gone down in the water near the islands and the pilot knew the island was occupied by Japanese forces.
He decided to prevent the C-47 to land on the occupied island and opened fire, hitting the right hand engine of the C-47. The P-51 returned and fired at the left hand engine. The airplane was flying low, stalled and hit the water about 300 yards from the shore. All aboard got out into three rafts. They paddled out to sea to avoid machine gun and rifle fire from the shore. They were joined by the P-51 pilot that had been shot down earlier. The next morning all were rescued by a Catalina.

Classification:
Shot down by aircraft
Loss of control

Sources:
» The Douglas DC-1/DC-2/DC-3 - the first seventy years / J.M. Gradidge
» Among Heroes: Tales of the Jungle Skippers / Philip Brinson


Photos

Add your photo of this accident or aircraft

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 Tacloban Airport to Angeles City-Clark Field as the crow flies is 650 km (406 miles).

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

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