Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident at Georgia, Georgia, 5 Mar 1947 (CCCP-L952)
On March 5, 1947, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration CCCP-L952) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Georgia, Georgia in flight. 23 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Wrong decision on part of the crew to change the itinerary, against all published procedures and navigational rules. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 7 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.
Probable cause
Wrong decision on part of the crew to change the itinerary, against all published procedures and navigational rules.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
About an hour and 13 minutes after departure from Tbilisi Airport, the crew decided to modify his route to save time. Few minutes later, while cruising vertical of the Caucasus Mountain Range, the crew encountered poor weather conditions when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 23 occupants was found. The wreckage was found by walkers in an isolated and mountainous area of north Georgia on June 20, 1947.
Probable cause (official findings): Wrong decision on part of the crew to change the itinerary, against all published procedures and navigational rules.