Prague – Ostrava

On January 12, 1954 at 01:55 PM, Prague – Ostrava experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by CSA Czech Airlines - Ceskoslovenské Státní Aerolinie, with the event recorded near Prague-Ruzyne Prague (Hlavní mesto Praha).

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

18 people were known to be on board, 13 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 72.2%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 14, passenger fatalities: 9, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. After a takeoff roll of 900 meters on runway 22, the pilot-in-command initiated the rotation. While climbing to a height of about 50 feet in a horizontal visibility of about 100 meters, the crew sighted the chimney and the pilot made a sharp turn to the left to avoid a collision. Doing so, the airplane hit a telephone pole and telegraphic cables, stalled and crashed in flames in a snow covered field located about one km south of the airfield. All four crew members and nine passengers were killed while five other passengers were rescued. The aircraft was destroyed. Crew: Jan House, pilot, Jirí Levý, copilot, Milroslav Kalenda, radio operator, Milroslav Häusler, flight engineer.

Aircraft reference details include registration OK-WDS, MSN 11854, year of manufacture 1943.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 50.0790°, 14.2927°.