ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-30-DL (DC-3) SX-BAD Avlon Attiki
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Thursday 29 October 1959
Time:15:25
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-30-DL (DC-3)
Operator:Olympic Airways
Registration: SX-BAD
MSN: 9491
First flight: 1943
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Crew:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Passengers:Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16
Total:Fatalities: 19 / Occupants: 19
Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
Location:near Avlon Attiki (   Greece)
Phase: En route (ENR)
Nature:Domestic Scheduled Passenger
Departure airport:Athens-Ellinikon International Airport (ATH/LGAT), Greece
Destination airport:Thessaloniki International Airport (SKG/LGTS), Greece
Flightnumber: 214
Narrative:
Flight 214 departed Athens at 15:01 for a flight to Thessaloniki. Following takeoff the DC-3 climbed to 3000 feet on a 240deg heading and was then instructed to climb on course to 9000 feet. At 15:20 the crew contacted Tanagra Control, reporting at 9000 feet over Mount Parnis in VMC. This was the last radio contact with the flight; the aircraft crashed 5 minutes afterwards.
Officially there were 18 people on board. However, post mortem examinations found a 19th victim.

Probable Cause:

PROBABLE CAUSE: "The accident was caused by the failure of the gudgeon pin bearing of no.6 piston of the left engine, which resulted in the abrupt breaking of the engine.
Contributing factors: Intertia of the propeller at the moment of the breaking of the engine caused failure of the propeller shaft. The broken propeller, rotating, caused serious cuts on the left wing. The latter then separated and loss of control followed."

Classification:

Loss of control

Sources:
» ICAO Accident Digest, Circular 62-AN/57 (197-203)


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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 Athens-Ellinikon International Airport to Thessaloniki International Airport as the crow flies is 297 km (185 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
  • 3468th loss
  • 1332nd fatal accident
  • 176th worst accident (at the time)
  • 256th worst accident (currently)
» safety profile

 Greece
  • 4th worst accident (at the time)
  • 13th worst accident (currently)
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