1978 Finnish Air Force DC-3 crash

1978 Finnish Air Force DC-3 crash
Finnish Air Force C-47 DO-4, sister ship to the accident aircraft
Accident
Date3 October 1978
SummaryEngine failure, pilot error, stall
SiteRissala, Siilinjärvi, Finland
Aircraft
Aircraft typeDouglas C-47A
OperatorFinnish Air Force
RegistrationDO-10
Flight originUtti Airport
StopoverKuopio Airport
DestinationHelsinki Airport
Passengers12
Crew3
Fatalities15
Survivors0

The Finnish Air Force DC-3 disaster occurred when a plane of this class crashed into Lake Juurusvesi in Rissala on 3 October 1978, killing all fifteen people on board. It was caused by a cracked exhaust valve, resulting from metal fatigue in an engine cylinder. Most of the victims were politicians and prominent businessmen attending a National Defence Course meeting organized by the Finnish Defence Forces.

The accident has been the third worst aviation accident in Finland, and the worst happened to a Finnish Air Force aircraft.