ASN Aircraft accident Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3) 5Y-ADI Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL)
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Status:Accident investigation report completed and information captured
Date:Friday 20 December 1968
Time:05:32 UTC
Type:Silhouette image of generic DC3 model; specific model in this crash may look slightly different
Douglas C-47A-25-DK (DC-3)
Operator:Kenya Police Air Wing
Registration: 5Y-ADI
MSN: 13447
First flight: 1944
Total airframe hrs:14794
Engines: 2 Pratt & Whitney R-1830-92
Crew:Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Passengers:Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Total:Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Aircraft damage: Destroyed
Aircraft fate: Written off (damaged beyond repair)
Location:2,2 km (1.4 mls) ENE of Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL) (   Kenya)
Crash site elevation: 1687 m (5535 feet) amsl
Phase: Initial climb (ICL)
Nature:Cargo
Departure airport:Nairobi-Wilson Airport (WIL/HKNW), Kenya
Destination airport:Wajir Airport (WJR/HKWJ), Kenya
Narrative:
The Kenya Police Air Wing Douglas C-47 was prepared for a supply run from Nairobi-Wilson Airport to police posts at Wajir and Mandera. The aircraft was loaded by unqualified personnel with a cargo consisting of beer, spirits, mineral waters and cigarettes.
At 05:30 UTC the flight was cleared for takeoff from runway 14. The aircraft was seen to climb in a left hand turn at a steep nose up attitude until it entered a patch of clouds at 600 feet. Next it was observed breaking through the clouds in descending spiral.
The angle of dive increased as the aircraft descended. It struck the ground in a near-vertical attitude, with both engines under power. The fuel tanks exploded blowing the centre section and outer wings clear of the cabin wreckage.

Probable Cause:

Probable cause: "Following a take-off in an overloaded condition, and whilst flying in an attitude approaching the stall a load shift was experienced which caused the pilot to lose control of the aircraft at a height from which recovery was impossible."

Classification:
Overloaded
Cargo shift
Loss of control

Sources:
» ICAO Circular 96-AN/79


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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 Nairobi-Wilson Airport to Wajir Airport as the crow flies is 496 km (310 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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