1954 — Oct 24, USAF C47A transport, Rome to Lyon, flies into Maritime Alps, Italy — 21

–21 Aviation Safety Network Database. USAF Douglas C-47A-90-DL, 14 Oct 1954, Italy
–21 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 60.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network:
“Date: Sunday 24 October 1954
“Time: 17:50
“Type: Douglas C-47A-90-DL (DC03)
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 43-16044
“MSN: 20510
“First flight: 1944
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
“Passengers: Fatalities: 18 / Occupants: 18
“Total: Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21
“Aircraft damage: Destroyed
….
“Location: ca 12 km W of Limone Piemonte, Cuneo (Italy)
“Crash site elevation: 2590 m (8497 feet) amsl
“Phase: en route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Roma-Ciampino Air Base (CIA/LIRA), Italy
“Destination airport: Lyon-Bron Airport (LYN/LFLY), France
“Narrative:

“A Douglas C-47A transport plane was destroyed when it flew into the side of a mountain in the Lago Carbone area of the Maritime Alps near the French / Italian border. The airplane operated on flight from Rome, Italy to RAF Station Manston, UK with an en route stop at Lyon, France. The flight plan contained a bearing error and there were strong winds forecast en route. It went off course and struck a mountain at 8500 feet.”

Gero:
“Date: 24 October 1954 (c.17:50)
“Location: Near Limone Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy
“Operator: US Air Force
“Aircraft type: Douglas C-47A (43-16044)

“The transport was bound for Lyon, France, from Rome, Italy, when it crashed in the Maritime Alps near the border of the two countries. The wreckage was located nearly a week later, with no survivors among the 21 American servicemen aboard (18 passengers and a crew of three). An error in planning on the part of the pilot proved to be the primary factor in this accident. Specifically, the instrument flight plan he had filed indicated a cruising height that was lower than the authorized minimum altitude on the portion of the route wherein the accident occurred. The flight plan also contained a bearing error of 13 degrees, possibly resulting from confusion between the Poretta radio beacon and Bastia, which is also located on the island of Corsica but some 15 miles (25km) farther north. Proceeding in darkness on a north-westerly track at a height of 8,500ft (2,600m), the C-47 slammed into the mountainous terrain and disintegrated. There was no post-impact fire. The weather at Lyon, about 175 miles (280km) north-west of where the crash occurred, was forecast to have consisted of broken cloud layers at 8,000ft ((2,500m) and at 2,000ft (600m), with a visibility of around 5 miles (10km) in light rain. The winds encountered by the aircraft, which may have been an additional contributing factor in the accident, were blowing from a south-westerly direction and may have reached a velocity of 45 knots [51.785 mph].” (Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 60. )

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. Database. USAF Douglas C-47A-90-DL, 14 Oct 1954, near Limone Piemonte, Cuneo, Italy. Accessed 4-29-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19541024-0

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.