Aircraft crash near Palembang Airport following engine failure

1 fatality • Palembang, Indonesia • Landing (descent or approach)

An aircraft crashed in a swampy area 5 km from the runway threshold after experiencing a right engine failure during its return to Palembang Airport.

What happened

Shortly after departing from Palembang Airport, the flight crew identified a malfunction involving the right engine. Approximately 13 minutes into the flight, the crew initiated an emergency return to the airport to perform a landing. During the descent through poor weather conditions, the aircraft moved through several cloud layers at a vertical speed of 300 feet per minute.

As the plane emerged from the final layer of clouds, it entered a right bank and impacted the ground in a swampy region situated roughly 5 km before reaching the runway threshold. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the aircraft. Among the crew, there was one fatality and one injury.

Findings

Official investigations concluded that the primary reason for the accident was the failure of the right engine, compounded by unfavorable weather conditions and a lack of necessary precautions taken by the captain. Investigators also noted that the aircraft may have been operating in an overloaded state, though they determined this weight was not extreme enough to necessitate descending to such a hazardous altitude.

Probable cause

The crash was caused by a right engine failure combined with poor pilot precaution and marginal weather conditions.

Frequently asked questions

What happened in the 1959-12-24 Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident near Palembang, Indonesia?

An aircraft crashed in a swampy area 5 km from the runway threshold after experiencing a right engine failure during its return to Palembang Airport.

Were there any fatalities in the 1959-12-24 Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident?

The accident was fatal, resulting in 1 fatality.

What aircraft was involved and where did it happen?

The accident on 1959-12-24 involved a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), registration PK-GDV, operated by Garuda Indonesian Airways, at Palembang, Indonesia.

What was the probable cause of the accident?

The crash was caused by a right engine failure combined with poor pilot precaution and marginal weather conditions.

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