CF-CUL  Douglas DC-4                  (c/n  10384)

                                             

                                                    CF-CUL at Vancouver in 1952.   It was a former C-54A-15-DC (42-72279) converted by
                                                    Douglas for Pan American as N88928 "Clipper Union".   CPAL acquired it in 1951.  Like
                                                    CF-CUK it also went to TALOA (as N9941F) and was leased to Iran Air (EP-ADK).
                                                    On 4 August 1961 the DC-4 was flying back to Tehran after a cargo flight to Beirut between
                                                    FL130 and FL150 when it became lost.  The aircraft is presumed to have flown over Russian
                                                    territory and was shot at by an unidentified plane, causing damage to the outer port engine nacelle
                                                    and  wing structure.   (The Ruskys didn't mess about in those days).  Anyway, the outer port engine
                                                    caught fire, forcing the crew to extinguish it and feather the prop. A little later the number 4 engine
                                                    had to be shut down and the prop feathered because of a fuel  tank low fuel indication.  With only
                                                    two engines this situation forced the crew to make an emergency wheels-up landing on the south-
                                                    west coast of the Caspian Sea.   The cause of the accident was given as faulty navigation.