1974 Francistown Wenela Air Services Douglas DC-4 crash

The machine was assembled in 1944 as the military version C-54B at the Douglas Aircraft Company factory in Santa Monica, California, and subsequently delivered to the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF).The company was involved in recruiting migrant workers and owned a fleet of buses and aircraft stationed in all the countries of Southern Africa.Shortly after taking off from Francistown Airport, the aircraft experienced misfires and ignition failures, leading to a continuous descent.The pilots were unable to gain a safe altitude due to these issues, causing the DC-4 to clip treetops and crash to the ground 3 600 meters past the runway's end after a stall.Ground personnel mistakenly filled one of the fuel tanks intended for aviation gasoline (Avgas) with kerosene.

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