Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia
Flight / Schedule
Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia
Aircraft
Douglas DC-2Registration
PH-AJU
MSN
1317
Year of Manufacture
1934
Date
December 20, 1934 at 03:33 AM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Desert
Crash Location
Rutbah Wells (Ar Rutbah) Al-Anbar (<U+0627><U+0644><U+0623><U+0646><U+0628><U+0627><U+0631>)
Region
Asia • Iraq
Crash Cause
Weather
Narrative Report
On December 20, 1934 at 03:33 AM, Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia experienced a crash involving Douglas DC-2, operated by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij, with the event recorded near Rutbah Wells (Ar Rutbah) Al-Anbar (<U+0627><U+0644><U+0623><U+0646><U+0628><U+0627><U+0631>).
The flight was categorized as scheduled revenue flight and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a desert crash site.
7 people were known to be on board, 7 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 3, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 4, passenger fatalities: 4, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is weather. The crew departed Cairo-Almaza Airport at 2330LT bound for Baghdad. While overflying the Iraqi Desert at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Rutbah Wells. On approach, the aircraft was at full power when it impacted the ground in a 17° right bank angle and 12° nose down attitude. The aircraft crashed and exploded some 16 km from the Rutbah Wells Airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all seven occupants were killed. Crew: Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne Beekman, pilot, Jan Johannes van Steenbergen, copilot, Hendrik Abraham Waalewijn, engineer, Gysbert van Zadelhoff, radio navigator. Passengers: Dominique Willem Berretty, E. W. Walch, Jacob Thymen Kort.
Aircraft reference details include registration PH-AJU, MSN 1317, year of manufacture 1934.
Fatalities
Total
7
Crew
3
Passengers
4
Other
0
Crash Summary
The crew departed Cairo-Almaza Airport at 2330LT bound for Baghdad. While overflying the Iraqi Desert at night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to divert to Rutbah Wells. On approach, the aircraft was at full power when it impacted the ground in a 17° right bank angle and 12° nose down attitude. The aircraft crashed and exploded some 16 km from the Rutbah Wells Airfield. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all seven occupants were killed. Crew: Wilhelm Marie Okko Anne Beekman, pilot, Jan Johannes van Steenbergen, copilot, Hendrik Abraham Waalewijn, engineer, Gysbert van Zadelhoff, radio navigator. Passengers: Dominique Willem Berretty, E. W. Walch, Jacob Thymen Kort.
Cause: Weather
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
3
Passengers On Board
4
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 7
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Amsterdam – Marseille – Rome – Athens – Cairo – Baghdad – Karachi – Yangon – Singapore – Batavia
Flight Type
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Desert
Region / Country
Asia • Iraq
Aircraft Details
Similar Plane Crashes
Royal Air Force - RAF
De Havilland DH.9
The pilot, sole on board, was completing a local training flight in Baghdad. En route, the engine failed. The pilot elected to make an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed in the Tigre River, near the district of Karrada, in Baghdad. The pilot was injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Royal Air Force - RAF
De Havilland DH.9
On a flight from Basra to Baghdad, weather conditions deteriorared with poor visibility due to sandstorm. The pilot attempted an emergency landing when the aircraft crashed and came to rest upside down in a drainage ditch. Both occupants were injured. Crew: F/O H. W. Baggs. Passenger: Maj Gen W. E. Ironside.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij
Fokker F3
While approaching Rotterdam Airport, the pilot was forced to attempt an emergency landing for unknown reasons. Upon landing in a field, the aircraft impacted a drainage ditch and came to rest upside down. All three occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. It was rebuilt with another MSN 1533 and same registration H-NABL.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines - Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij
De Havilland DH.9
En route, the engine caught fire and the pilot elected to make an emergency landing in Waalhaven, south of Rotterdam. The aircraft crashed and was damaged beyond repair and the pilot escaped unhurt. This was the first official accident involving an aircraft of the Dutch National carrier KLM since its creation in 1919. Crew: H. Wende, pilot.
Royal Air Force - RAF
De Havilland DH.9
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Hinaidi. While flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane collided with a second RAF DH.9A registered H102. Both aircraft entered a dive and crashed near the airbase. One pilot on board H102 survived while all three other crew members were killed.
Royal Air Force - RAF
De Havilland DH.9
The crew was completing a local training flight at RAF Hinaidi. While flying at an altitude of 3,000 feet, the airplane collided with a second RAF DH.9A registered E8474. Both aircraft entered a dive and crashed near the airbase. One pilot on board H102 survived while all three other crew members were killed.