Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident at Magadan, Russia, 22 May 1948 (CCCP-L1073)
On May 22, 1948, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration CCCP-L1073) operated by Aeroflot - Russian International Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Magadan, Russia in flight. 8 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to low ceiling. It was reported that, at the time of the accident, the person in charge to transmit weather information to the crew and based at the airport of Magadan was… 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
The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to low ceiling. It was reported that, at the time of the accident, the person in charge to transmit weather information to the crew and based at the airport of Magadan was intoxicated.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
Following an uneventful flight from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Yelizovo Airport, the crew started the descent to Magadan in poor weather conditions. During the final approach, at a distance of 13 km from the runway threshold, the captain was unable to locate the runway and decided to descend to 500 meters, the decision altitude. Unable to establish a visual contact with the runway, he decided to abandon the approach, started a go around and diverted to the Seymchan Airport located some 350 km north of Magadan. Few minutes later, while cruising in poor visibility, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Marchekanskaya (707 meters high). A passenger was seriously injured while eight other occupants were killed. It appears the aircraft hit the mountain 70 meters below the summit.
Probable cause (official findings): The accident was the result of a controlled flight into terrain in poor visibility due to low ceiling. It was reported that, at the time of the accident, the person in charge to transmit weather information to the crew and based at the airport of Magadan was intoxicated.