List of accidents and incidents involving the DC-3 in the 1930s
This is a list of accidents and incidents involving the Douglas Sleeper Transport (DST) and Douglas DC-3 that occurred in the period from the first flight of the prototype in 1935 to 1939. The first variant of the DC-3 to fly was a DST, on 17 December 1935; the DST and DC-3 entered production the following year and the first of the type to crash was a DC-3, in 1937. Military accidents and incidents of sabotage are included, although acts of war are outside the scope of this list.
1937
February 9
A DC-3A-197 (registration NC16073) operating as United Airlines Flight 23 from Burbank to Mills Field Municipal Airport (now San Francisco International Airport) crashed into San Francisco Bay during landing approach.[1] The first officer accidentally dropped his microphone which jammed the elevator controls, killing all 11 on board in the first loss of a DC-3.[2]
April 3
A DC-3-194B (registration PH-ALP, named Pluvier) struck Mount Baldy, Arizona on its delivery flight to KLM, killing all eight on board.[3]
October 6
A KLM DC-3-194B (registration PH-ALS, named Specht) crashed after takeoff from Betoetoe Aerodrome in the Dutch East Indies, killing four of the twelve occupants.[4]
October 17
A DC-3A-197 (registration NC16074) operating as United Airlines Flight 1 struck a mountain 20 miles (32 km) south of Knight, Wyoming in bad weather, killing all 19 on board. A combination of radio failure, poor ground visibility and the weather was the cause of the crash.[5]
1938
May 24
A DST-A-207A (registration NC18108) operating as United Airlines Flight 9 crashed near Cleveland Municipal Airport following an engine fire, killing all 10 on board.[6]
July 15
A Pan American World Airways DC-3-228 (registration NC18114) crashed on climbout from Morón, Argentina; the aircraft impacted the side of a hospital building. All 13 on board survived, however a person on the ground died.[7]
November 14
A KLM DC-3-194D (registration PH-ARY, named Ijsvogel) struck terrain and crashed on approach to Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport en route from Berlin, killing 6 of the 19 people on board; the cause was not determined.[8]
November 29
A DC-3A-191 (registration NC16066) operating as United Airlines Flight 6 ditched off Point Reyes, California due to fuel exhaustion after the crew experienced navigation problems, killing five of the seven occupants.[9]
