Air crashes in the United Arab Emirates

Discussion in 'World War 2' started by clivetemple, Jan 31, 2010.

  1. clivetemple

    clivetemple New Member

    Here's quick details of some more... if anyone can point me towards any other resources on the net where I may find out more details I'd be very grateful... WW2 isn't really my field... perhaps some of you have a particular interest in some of these aircraft.

    B17 Crash 2nd May 1944 at Jebel Dhanna, UAE.
    The plane was on a photo reconnaisance flight. Four crew parachuted to safety, the other two stayed with the aircraft and escaped injury when it crashed on the beach below the high water mark. It's possible this was an RAF plane and not USAF as there doesn't appear to be any mention in US sources and the crew were later rescued by an RAF plane.

    HP42 Lost 1st March 1940 possibly in UAE.
    G-AAGX of BOAC was lost without trace together with crew of 4 and 4 passengers en route from Jiwani in Pakistan to Sharjah in UAE. It was flight CW197 (Calcutta Westbound). It left Karachi on 1st March 1940 at about 0600 local time and flew to Jiwani, then took off again for Sharjah. It reported by radio over Jask (on the Iranian coast) at about midday local time, and estimated its arrival at Sharjah at about 1330 local time. Hannibal was carrying high-ranking government and military chiefs, and theories, apart from a simple crash - perhaps offshore - range from sabotage to hijacking. The flight's original passengers were off-loaded to another flight, and the accident passengers substituted at Karachi, which is strange. There is even the suggestion that a load of gold was aboard. Amazingly, this incident is still classified as secret in the UK, and various amateur aviation archaeologists claim to have received warnings not to investigate too deeply. An interesting website on this disappearance can be found at: http://rrhobby.ca/flight_cw197.htm

    C46 Lost 26th July 1945 near Dubai.
    In July 1945, an American C46 crashed south-east of Dubai, with the loss of all three crew members.
    The plane had taken off from Karachi, bound for Abadan, Iran, on 26th of July. It was last heard of east of Sharjah, but no distress signals were sent. Aircraft from Sharjah carried out a sea and land search but failed to find any sign of the plane.
    It was not until 29th July that the Political Agent in Bahrain and those in Muscat and Kuwait, as well as the Residency Agent in Sharjah, were informed. On the same day, however, the plane was found. Two reports, by the Political Agent in Bahrain and by the Sharjah Residency Agent, provide further information.
    The Political Agent's Intelligence Summary noted: "the wreckage of this plane was discovered 13 ½ miles south east of Dubai, and reported to the Royal Air Force. Rescue parties were rushed to the spot and the bodies of three of the crew removed to Abadan by air for burial. The wreckage has been examined with a view to discovering the cause of the crash but its results are not yet known here ".
    The Residency Agent, benefiting from his proximity and from access to information from the RAF base at Sharjah, was able to provide more information: "On the 29 th July two bedouins of Beni Yas tribe found the wreckage of the aircraft lying at a place called Naqa Bishr, 13 ½ miles south-east of Dubai, and reported to the R.A.F. authorities through the Shaikh of Dubai. The aircraft had on board 1000 lbs of freight and mail.
    It was so badly damaged that nothing could be salvaged out of it".
    US records mention no C46 accident on the date given
    (home.att.net/~jbaugher/usafserials.html).
     

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