25 December Douglas C-47 YV-425C of AeroEjecutivos ditched off the Venezuelan coast at Cumaná following a double engine failure. 31 December Douglas DC-3C N711Y of Century Equipment crashed in the United States at De Kalb, Texas following an inflight fire that started from the cabin heater. The aircraft was on a domestic non-scheduled passenger flight between Guntersville Municipal Airport and Dallas Love Field when a fire broke out in the cabin. Both crew were seriously injured and all seven passengers were killed, including singer Ricky Nelson. 1986 19 January Douglas C-47A C-GNNA of Austin Airways struck a high Non-directional beacon tower and crashed at Sachigo Lake Airport in the Canadian province of Ontario. 29 January Douglas DC-3-178 XA-IOR – the tenth DST/DC-3 built – of Aero California crashed at Las Lomitas, Mexico when attempting to divert to Las Lomitas Airport. The aircraft was on a domestic scheduled passenger flight from Villa Constitución Airport, Ciudad Constitución to Los Mochis Airport. All 21 people on board were killed. 8 February Douglas DC-3 HK-3031 of SAEP Colombia crashed on approach to El Dorado International Airport in Bogotá, Colombia. The port engine had lost power shortly after take-off on a cargo flight to Rondon Airport and the decision was made to return to Bogotá. Although the aircraft was destroyed in the post-impact fire, all five people on board survived. 24 May A Douglas C-47 of the Madagascar Air Force crashed into a mountain near Antananarivo in Madagascar in poor weather. All 13 people on board were killed. 10 July Douglas C-47A 7315 of the Zimbabwe Air Force crashed on take-off from Maputo International Airport in Mozambique. All 17 people on board were killed. 29 July Douglas C-53D N27PR of Borinquen Air crashed into a lagoon on approach to Luis Muñoz Marín International Airport, Carolina, Puerto Rico. The aircraft was on an international cargo flight to Golden Rock Airport, Saint Kitts and Nevis when the starboard engine failed shortly after take-off and the decision was made to return to Carolina. One of the two crew was killed, the other was seriously injured. 28 August A Douglas C-47 of the Fuerza Aérea Sandinista crashed near Siuma in Nicaragua. The aircraft may have been shot down, both crew were killed. October (unknown date) Douglas C-47B A65-114 of the Aircraft Research and Development Unit RAAF crashed-landed following the failure of both engines immediately after taking off from RAAF