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The accident occurred at 02:35 local time. Shortly after taking off from
Gaborone Airport, the aircraft experienced misfires and ignition failures, leading to a continuous descent. The pilots were unable to gain a safe altitude due to these issues, causing the DC-4 to clip treetops and crash to the
356:. After World War II, the machine was categorized as surplus by the USAAF and decommissioned. The Douglas Aircraft Company purchased the machine on December 13, 1945, and converted it to a civilian DC-4. On April 2, 1946, the machine was sold to
313:, was forced to make an emergency landing due to engine failure, resulting in the death of 78 out of 84 people on board. This incident remains the deadliest aviation accident in Botswana and the third deadliest involving a Douglas DC-4.
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At the time of the accident, there were 80 passengers and four crew members on board. Most of the passengers were employees of the South
African mining company, returning home.
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It was determined that the aircraft had been partially misfueled. Ground personnel mistakenly filled one of the fuel tanks intended for aviation gasoline (
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The aircraft was the 240th
Douglas DC-4 off the production line. The machine, with the serial number
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468:. As a result, the fuel the aircraft was loaded with was contaminated by 25 to 30 percent.
427:(Wenela Air Services Botswana). The four-engine long-range aircraft was equipped with four
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until June 1959. In the month of its decommissioning, it was sold to the
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411:. The machine first received the South African registration
352:, where it was to operate under the military registration
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ground 3 600 meters past the runway's end after a stall.
287:
1974 Francistown Wenela Air
Services Douglas DC-4 crash
90:
1974 Francistown Wenela Air
Services Douglas DC-4 crash
297:, conducting an international scheduled flight from
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South
African Air Force Hawker-Siddeley HS125 crash
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1013:Accidents and incidents involving the Douglas DC-4
913:Francistown Wenela Air Services Douglas DC-4 crash
656:Francistown Wenela Air Services Douglas DC-4 crash
883:Aviation accidents and incidents in South Africa
46:but its sources remain unclear because it lacks
483:Crash of a Douglas DC-4 in Gaborone: 78 killed
401:Witwatersrand Native Labour Association (WNLA)
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525:
8:
1008:Aviation accidents and incidents in Botswana
433:Pratt & Whitney R-2000-2SD-13G Twin Wasp
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391:, where it operated under the registration
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487:B3A − Bureau of Aircraft Accident Archives
289:occurred on April 4, 1974. On this day, a
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77:Learn how and when to remove this message
1003:Aviation accidents and incidents in 1974
101:A Douglas DC-4 of South African Airways
806:Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 6231
7:
348:. The aircraft was intended for the
337:, and subsequently delivered to the
107:Forced landing due to engine failure
972:South African Air Force C-47 crash
636:Sierra Pacific Airlines Flight 802
14:
501:Operating history of the aircraft
929:South African Airways Flight 295
897:South African Airways Flight 406
566:Commonwealth Commuter Flight 317
542:Aviation accidents and incidents
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921:Mozambican Tupolev Tu-134 crash
706:British Airways bombing attempt
360:, where it operated under the
1:
696:EgyptAir Tupolev Tu-154 crash
415:, which was later changed to
339:United States Army Air Forces
746:Eastern Air Lines Flight 212
492:Accident report DC-4, A2-ZER
1028:April 1974 events in Africa
646:Sterling Airways Flight 901
626:Turkish Airlines Flight 981
596:Turkish Airlines Flight 301
350:Republic of China Air Force
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980:Pretoria Convair 340 crash
387:. In 1955, it was sold to
383:, and used for flights in
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766:Panarctic Oils Flight 416
726:Norfolk mid-air collision
616:Delta Airlines Flight 523
557:
389:Overseas National Airways
373:Pacific Northern Airlines
94:
776:Surgut mid-air collision
327:Douglas Aircraft Company
32:This article includes a
964:Piaggio Albatross crash
496:Aviation Safety Network
61:more precise citations.
956:SA Airlink Flight 8911
756:Air Vietnam Flight 706
367:with the fleet number
343:military serial number
16:1974 aviation accident
419:(Wenela Air Services
362:aircraft registration
816:Martinair Flight 138
786:Lufthansa Flight 540
686:Aeroflot Il-18 crash
666:Court Line Flight 95
576:Aeroflot Flight H-75
844:► 1975
838:1973 ◄
439:Passengers and crew
299:Francistown Airport
295:Wenela Air Services
204:Francistown Airport
173:Wenela Air Services
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148:Aircraft type
34:list of references
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937:Comair Flight 206
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826:Avensa Flight 358
676:Pan Am Flight 812
606:Pan Am Flight 806
447:Accident sequence
423:) and finally to
341:(USAAF) with the
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38:related reading
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948:21st century
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915:(April 1974)
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899:(March 1967)
889:20th century
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431:of the type
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331:Santa Monica
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293:operated by
291:Douglas DC-4
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180:Registration
152:Douglas DC-4
73:
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53:Please help
45:
1018:Francistown
982:(July 2018)
716:Buffalo 461
329:factory in
222:Destination
125:Francistown
59:introducing
997:Categories
907:(May 1971)
586:Togo crash
505:rzjets.net
472:References
335:California
260:Fatalities
244:Passengers
276:Survivors
67:July 2024
466:kerosene
421:Rhodesia
397:Loma Dan
377:Portland
317:Aircraft
303:Botswana
268:Injuries
216:Botswana
193:Botswana
170:Botswana
158:Operator
143:Aircraft
137:Botswana
546: (
544:in 1974
464:) with
346:44-9016
55:improve
822:Dec 22
782:Nov 20
762:Oct 30
752:Sep 15
742:Sep 11
702:Jul 23
692:Jul 10
682:Apr 27
672:Apr 22
662:Apr 18
642:Mar 15
632:Mar 13
612:Feb 22
602:Jan 30
592:Jan 26
582:Jan 24
425:A2-ZER
417:VP-YST
413:ZS-CLN
405:Wenela
393:N410NA
385:Alaska
381:Oregon
365:N37475
311:Malawi
238:Malawi
235:
213:
195:A2-ZER
190:
167:
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812:Dec 4
802:Dec 1
792:Dec 1
772:Nov 1
732:Sep 8
722:Aug 9
712:Aug 9
652:Apr 4
622:Mar 3
572:Jan 6
562:Jan 6
462:Avgas
456:Cause
375:from
323:27242
123:near
40:, or
548:1974
354:5405
285:The
252:Crew
120:Site
112:Date
309:in
305:to
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