No fatalities

Twin-Engine Aircraft Belly Landing After Lightning Strike (Q-12)

Gimbat Station, AustraliaFlight

On March 26, 1947, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration Q-12) operated by Royal Netherlands Air Force - Luchtvaartbrigade (1913-1953) was involved in an aviation accident near Gimbat Station, Australia in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was caused by a lightning strike that led to the failure of essential electrical, radio, and navigation systems. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A twin-engine aircraft suffered electrical and navigation failures after being struck by lightning enroute, forcing the crew to execute a belly landing in an uninhabited area. All six occupants were rescued.

What happened

During an enroute phase of flight, the crew of a twin-engine aircraft encountered deteriorating weather conditions. The airframe was struck by lightning, which resulted in the failure of the electrical systems. Consequently, both radio communications and navigation equipment became inoperable. Faced with these critical system failures and poor visibility, the captain elected to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft executed a belly landing in an uninhabited area. While the airframe sustained damage beyond repair, all six crew members were successfully rescued.

Findings

The official investigation attributed the incident to the lightning strike that compromised the aircraft's electrical and navigational capabilities.

Probable cause

The accident was caused by a lightning strike that led to the failure of essential electrical, radio, and navigation systems.