Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident at Bad Herrenalb, Germany, 1 Nov 1945 (42-93041)
On November 1, 1945, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration 42-93041) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Bad Herrenalb, Germany in flight. 26 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It appears the crew was not aware of the mountains and different obstacles in the region and the visibility was reduced at the time of the accident. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 2 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
It appears the crew was not aware of the mountains and different obstacles in the region and the visibility was reduced at the time of the accident. Also, inefficient weather briefing on part of the local weather station may have been considered as a contributory factor.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
The crew was flying on autopilot under the cloud layer when the weather conditions worsened. The captain decided to gain height and increased engine power to do so. Shortly later, while climbing in clouds, the aircraft hit the slope of a hill and crashed in a dense wooded area. All four crew members and 22 passengers were killed while four others were seriously injured.
Probable cause (official findings): It appears the crew was not aware of the mountains and different obstacles in the region and the visibility was reduced at the time of the accident. Also, inefficient weather briefing on part of the local weather station may have been considered as a contributory factor.