ZS-DAK

On December 28, 1973 at 12:00 AM, ZS-DAK experienced a crash involving Douglas C-49 (DC-3), operated by Executive Funds, with the event recorded near Durban KwaZulu-Natal.

The flight was categorized as charter/taxi (non scheduled revenue flight) and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

25 people were known to be on board, 1 fatalities were recorded, 24 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 4.0%.

Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 0, passengers on board: 22, passenger fatalities: 1, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. While descending to Durban Airport on a charter flight, the pilot-in-command completed a turn to join the approach path when the left engine failed, followed shortly later by the right engine. The crew elected to modify the position of the fuel selector but the engines did not respond. The captain attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crash landed on a beach located in Umbogintwini, about 6 km southwest of the airport. A passenger was killed while 24 other occupants were evacuated safely. Nevertheless, some of them were injured. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Aircraft reference details include registration ZS-DAK, MSN 1498, year of manufacture 1936.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -29.8618°, 31.0099°.