The following is an extract from African pilots weekly email
One of the world’s most famous DC-3s, S A Historic Flight’s “Klapperkop” was damaged in a forced landing in an open field near Lanseria on Friday late afternoon. Fortunately the three-crew members were not injured and the aircraft will probably be restored once a full assessment of what caused the double engine failure. The aircraft had earlier flown from Swartkop Air Station, where the Historic Flight is based, to Lanseria and undertaken a scenic flight lasting an hour and fifteen minutes over the city of Johannesburg. The accident happened after the passengers and the airhostess were dropped off back at Lanseria, when the aircraft was been returned empty to Swartkop. It is reported that given the symptoms of a double engine failure, that fuel contamination has not been ruled out. The combined experience of the two pilots who have flown this particular DC-3 for hundreds of hours and who managed to select a suitable open field that resulted in a relatively safe landing was fortunate. Further, the aircraft did not catch fire, is therefore largely intact and stands a good chance of being re-built.
