What happened
During a scheduled flight from Damascus to Aleppo, the crew of a Douglas Dakota received information regarding the recent disappearance of a Netherlands Navy Catalina over Lebanon. In an effort to assist in locating the missing wreckage, the flight crew requested permission to alter their course and fly over Lebanese territory.
While navigating through adverse weather conditions, the aircraft struck the side of a mountain situated in Dahr el-Kadib. The impact resulted in nine fatalities and left six survivors with injuries.
Findings
- The flight was operating under poor meteorological conditions at the time of the accident.
- The crew had intentionally diverted from their original flight path to conduct a visual search for a missing naval aircraft.