Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during the initial climb phase of a scheduled passenger service. The Douglas C-47B took off from Thandwe Airport (formerly Sandoway) into conditions of heavy rain and poor visibility. Shortly after departure, the aircraft was observed to enter a nose-down attitude of approximately 3 degrees. Unable to maintain altitude or flight path in the adverse weather, the aircraft crashed into the sea south of the airport. The airline, which was the state-owned flag carrier, was renamed Burma Airways later that same year in December 1972.
Final Conclusions
The investigation concluded that the aircraft crashed shortly after takeoff from Thandwe Airport. Of the 31 occupants, 28 were killed and 3 survived. The aircraft was written off due to the severity of the damage and its location in the sea.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Douglas C-47B Airframe
A twin-engine transport aircraft derived from the DC-3, widely used for domestic passenger services in Burma during the 1970s.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Douglas C-47B-20-DK, a variant of the Douglas DC-3.
- 02The accident occurred just south of Thandwe Airport (SNW).
- 03There were only three survivors out of 31 souls on board.
- 04The airline was operating under the name Union of Burma Airways at the time of the crash.