Durban – Dar es-Salaam – Nairobi

On May 18, 1955 at 12:01 PM, Durban – Dar es-Salaam – Nairobi experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by East African Airways, with the event recorded near Mt Kilimanjaro Kilimanjaro Region.

The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

20 people were known to be on board, 20 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 16, passenger fatalities: 16, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. While cruising at the altitude of 10,500 feet in marginal weather conditions, enroute from Dar es-Salaam to Nairobi, the airplane struck the southeast slope of Mawenzi Peak (the second highest peak of Mt KIlimanjaro). The wreckage was reached by rescuers on May 22. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 20 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, the mountain was shrouded by clouds and the visibility was poor.

Aircraft reference details include registration VP-KKH, MSN 16820/33568, year of manufacture 1945.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -3.3812°, 37.3344°.