Merauke - Cairns

On September 7, 1944 at 12:00 PM, Merauke - Cairns experienced a crash involving Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3), operated by Royal Netherlands East Indies Air Force - ML-KNIL, with the event recorded near Mossman Queensland.

The flight was categorized as military 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 last radio contact was recorded some 15 minutes prior to the ETA at Cairns Airport. While descending, the twin engine aircraft hit a hill and crashed in the Daintree National Park, near Mossman, some 65 km northwest of Cairns. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the 20 occupants was found. Eventually, the wreckage was found in January 1989 in an isolated and mountainous area. All 20 occupants were killed, among them two civilians. Crew: 1st Lt H. J. H. Daanen, pilot, Sgt W. A. Torn, copilot, Sgt E. Kerdijk, wireless operator, Sgt J. F. Damwijk, flight engineer. Passengers: 1st Lt R. T. H. Braakensiek, H. P. Levy, B. van Aken, O. Leyding, R. J. Salm, J. S. Zwart, Sgt A. C. Scholte, Sgt M. Boogerman, M. J. Straub, S/L Leslie Roy Dawson, Lt Horace William Hammond Armstrong, 2nd Lt J. R. L. Lebeu, 2nd Lt R. E. J. Boereboom, 2nd Lt S. Jacob, Mrs Waas, Mrs Wakemaw.

Aircraft reference details include registration DT-941, MSN 12880, year of manufacture 1944.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately -16.4595°, 145.3735°.