Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident at Marseille, France, 15 Jan 1946 (KN557)
On January 15, 1946, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration KN557) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Marseille, France in flight. 26 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: It appears that the aircraft was off course at the time of the accident following erroneous information received by the crew from the ground control service. 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.
Probable cause
It appears that the aircraft was off course at the time of the accident following erroneous information received by the crew from the ground control service. Due to low visibility caused by snow falls, the crew was unable to distinguish the mountainous area and this resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
The aircraft was on its way from Palermo to London with released British soldiers returning home. While flying south of Marseille at an altitude of 1,000 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and was destroyed upon impact. On the scene, rescuers were able to evacuate a passenger seriously injured while 25 other occupants were killed. Few hours later, the only survivor died from his injuries. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor due to snow falls and the aircraft was following a wrong path. Crew (271st Squadron): F/Lt William George Elliott Buchanan, pilot, F/Sgt Edwin Alan Chapman, copilot, W/O John Wyvill Suart, navigator, F/O Ralph Nathaniel Smith, wireless operator. Passengers: LAC Stephen Michael Aungier, LAC John Kendal Bond, Drv Henry Canham, LAC Charles George Cottle, LAC Henry Cunningham, LAC Gwilym Daniels, LAC Ernest John Fessi, Pvt John James Flanagan, LAC Leonard Roy Fouracre, Sap Eric Gardham, LAC Trevor Ernest Giles, LAC Ronald Gillingham, Cpt Paul Verrier Isaac, Cpt Wilfred Kendrick Lloyd, Lt Peter Marriott, Lt John Harold Nutt, Cpl Walter Peacock, Pvt Benjamin Price, Lt Maurice Ernest Rennie, Lt Robert Thomas Tobias, Lt Stanley Charles Turner, Cpt George Wood.
Probable cause (official findings): It appears that the aircraft was off course at the time of the accident following erroneous information received by the crew from the ground control service. Due to low visibility caused by snow falls, the crew was unable to distinguish the mountainous area and this resulted in a controlled flight into terrain.