The Dakota Association of South Africa

C/N 13483

ET-T-15

Ethiopian Airlines

Ethiopian commenced operations on 21 December 1945 with five C-47s, one of which is seen above in this shot by the late Peter R. Keeting taken at Addis Ababa in 1950. The airline was supported largely by TWA in the beginning both in the area of technical expertise and management.

ET-T-15 was a former C-47A-25-DK (42-93558) which had seen duty as a Dakota IV KG666 with the RAF. For some reason (cash flow?) it was leased to Swissair in 1951-52 as HB-IRH. Returning to Ethiopia, it was re-registered ET-AAT in the mid 1950s. On 30 November 1963 the aircraft was being test flown following maintenance work when it banked hard to port, crashed and was written off. Subsequent inquiries revealed that the aileron cables had been reversed when they were re-connected. Fortunately the crew escaped with their lives.

Text: Eddie Coates

Photograph: Peter Keeting

Source: Eddie Coates collection

C/N 4325

ET-ABQ

Ethiopian Airlines

Photograph: Clinton H Groves collection

C/N 12205

ET-ABY

Ethiopian Airlines

Photograph: Clinton H Groves collection

C/N 4297

ET-ABR

Ethiopian Airlines

Operating flight ET 231 to Addis Ababa sometimes spelled Addis Abeba

Lalibela Ethiopia

13 October 1974

Photograph: Christian Hanuise

C/N 13181

ET-AAP

Ethiopian Airlines

Ex ET-T-2

Landing at Mui airstrip near Omo National Park in southwest Ethiopia

November 1975

Photograph: Christian Hanuise