On January 2, 1954, a Douglas DC-3 operated by Ariana Afghan Airlines was involved in an aviation accident near Herat, Afghanistan in flight. 21 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft struck terrain while operating in heavy snowstorm conditions. 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.
An aircraft crashed into a mountainside approximately 50 km from Herat while flying through heavy snow, resulting in no survivors.
What happened
During a period of active snowfall, an aircraft was navigating through a snowstorm when it struck the slope of a mountain. The impact occurred at an altitude near a mountain range situated roughly 50 km from Herat. Following the disappearance of the flight, search efforts located the debris field several days after the incident.
There were 21 fatalities recorded among the occupants of the aircraft, with no survivors reported from the crash site. The wreckage was discovered in the mountainous terrain following an investigation into the plane's last known position.
Findings
The flight was in the cruise phase of flight at the time of the accident.
Severe weather conditions, specifically a snowstorm, were present during the flight.
Probable cause
The aircraft struck terrain while operating in heavy snowstorm conditions.
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