1949 Sabena DC-3 Crash
{{short description|1949 aviation accident}}
{{Infobox aircraft occurrence
| name =1949 Sabena DC-3 Crash
| image = File:Douglas DC-3D OO-AUM Sabena Ringway 08.07.49 edited-3.jpg
| caption = A Sabena DC-3 in 1949, similar to the aircraft involved in the accident.
|image_size=300
| occurrence_type =Accident
| date = {{start date|1949|12|18|df=y}}
| summary = Loss of control after an in-flight structural failure of the wing
| site = 4 km southeast of the Le Bourget Airport near Aulnay-sous-Bois
| coordinates =
| occupants = 8
| passengers = 4
| crew = 4
| injuries =0
| fatalities = 8
| missing =
| survivors = 0
| aircraft_type = Douglas DC-3
| aircraft_name =
| Operator=Sabena
| tail_number = OO-AUQ
| Origin= Paris-Le Bourget Airport (LBG/LFPB), France
| stopover =
| stopover0 =
| stopover1 =
| stopover2 =
| stopover3 =
| stopover4 =
| stopover5 =
| last_stopover =
| Destination= Brussels-Zaventem Airport (BRU/EBBR), Belgium
}}
The 1949 Sabena DC-3 Crash was the crash of a Douglas DC-3 of the Belgian airline Sabena in Aulnay-sous-Bois, France, on 18 December 1949. None of the eight people on board survived the incident.{{cite web |url=https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19491218-0 |title=Accident description |publisher=aviation-safety.net |date=1996 |access-date=17 July 2020}}
Aircraft
The Douglas DC-3 involved was built in 1946 with serial number 10241 and registration OO-AUQ and was used by the Belgian airline company Sabena from 12 August 1946 until its destruction in 1949.{{cite web |url=https://www.skystef.be/regi/OO-AUQ.htm |title=OO-AUQ |publisher=skystef.be |date= |access-date=17 July 2020}}
Crash
The Sabena flight departed Le Bourget Airport bound for Zaventem Airport with four passengers and four crew members on board at 20.30 pm on 18 December 1949. Shortly after takeoff while still climbing, the aircraft fired a green and red rocket as a sign of distress before flying low over the rooftops of the surrounding neighborhood.{{cite news | url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/825606247 | via = Newspapers.com | newspaper = The Daily Telegraph | location = London, England | date = 19 December 1940 | page = 1 | title = Plane Crash in Suburb of Paris}} After reaching a maximum height of only a few hundred feet, one of the wings separated and sent the aircraft in an uncontrolled dive towards the ground.{{cite news | url = https://www.newspapers.com/image/636955725/ | via = Newspapers.com | newspaper = The Fort Worth Star-Telegram | location = Fort Worth, Texas | date = 19 December 1949 | page = 2 | agency = Associated Press | title = 8 Killed in Crash of Belgian Airliner}}
The plane crashed 4 km southeast of the airport near Aulnay-sous-Bois after clipping a house and burst into flames. The impact with the house caused damage to the corner of the house and toppled a chimney, but the occupants of the house were unharmed. After striking the house, the plane crashed in a field about {{convert|600|yd|m}} away and buried itself deep in the ground. The flight avoided hitting a crowded movie theater nearby. Firefighters, Police officers and airport employees reached the crash site to aid any survivors but it was discovered that all eight onboard had perished in the flaming wreckage.{{cite web |url=https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47a-60-dl-aulnay-sous-bois-8-killed |title=CRASH OF A DOUGLAS C-47A-60-DL IN AULNAY-SOUS-BOIS: 8 KILLED |publisher=baaa-acro.com |access-date=17 July 2020}} One firefighter and a local ihabitant was injured in the rescue attempt and taken to the hospital.
| class="wikitable" | ||||||
| style="background:#ccccff;"
!rowspan=2|Nationality | colspan=2|Passengers | colspan=2|Crew | colspan=2|Total | |||
| style="background:#ccccff;"
!Total | Killed | Total | Killed | Total | Killed | |
| valign=top | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 6 |
| valign=top | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| valign=top | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| valign=top
|Total | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 8 | 8 |
Probable cause
The cause of the crash was determined to be caused by the in-flight structural failure of the wing, but the reason for the wing's failure remains unknown.{{cite web |url=https://nha.courant.nu/issue/IJC/1949-12-19/edition/0/page/1 |title=Belgisch lijnvliegtuig bij Parijs verongelukt |date=19 December 1949 |publisher=nha.courant.nu |access-date=17 July 2020}}
Aftermath
References
{{reflist}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in France before 1950}}
{{Aviation accidents and incidents in 1949}}
Category:Sabena accidents and incidents
Category:Airliner accidents and incidents caused by in-flight structural failure
Category:December 1949 in Europe
Category:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1949