Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) accident at Vaison-la-Romaine, France, 30 Aug 1945 (KJ974)
On August 30, 1945, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration KJ974) operated by Royal Air Force - RAF was involved in an aviation accident near Vaison-la-Romaine, France in flight. 14 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The pilot, who was very experienced with more than 8000 flying hours, disobeyed his briefing instructions and elected to take off in very bad weather. 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 pilot, who was very experienced with more than 8000 flying hours, disobeyed his briefing instructions and elected to take off in very bad weather.
— NTSB Determination
Accident narrative
Twenty minutes after his departure from Marseille, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with severe turbulence. At an altitude of 600 feet, the aircraft went out of control, broke up in the air, dove into the ground and crashed in a field. All 14 occupants were killed. Crew (24th Squadron): Lt A. J. Daniels, pilot, Piet William Ree, copilot, F/O Leonard Montague Francom, wireless operator, F/O Harold Oliver Young, navigator. Passengers: F/Lt Robert Thomas Gibson, Cpl Richard Bennett, Seaman Cafful, W/O Reginald Champion, P/O Phillis Ann Collett, F/O William John Henry Henley, J. W. Jenkins Lecturer, Sgt John James Kennedy, Eileen Mary Stallworthy, Arthur Wallace.
Probable cause (official findings): The pilot, who was very experienced with more than 8000 flying hours, disobeyed his briefing instructions and elected to take off in very bad weather.