Kunming

Operator:

Registration:

42-3588

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

26721

YOM:

1943

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En route, crew was forced to make an emergency landing following an engine failure. Aircraft crash landed and was damaged beyond repair. No casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-25-CU in Mangnung: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24724

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Kunming - Misamari

MSN:

26645

YOM:

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While cruising at a height of 8,000 feet over the mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh, crew informed ground he was losing his orientation and could not locate his position due to poor weather conditions (heavy rain falls). Captain also requested to ATC if they were able to see his lights but the answer was negative. Thirty seconds later, the aircraft hit a mountain slope and was demolished, killing all four occupants.
Crew:
2nd Lieutenant Jack Hunter, pilot,
2nd Lieutenant Alfred S. Hemmer, copilot,
Sergeant Inman A. Watson, radio operator,
Staff Sergeant John L. Weinberg, flight engineer.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 near Lijiang: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1944

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Site:

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Schedule:

Dinjan - Kunming

MSN:

9416

YOM:

1943

Location:

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Circumstances:

En route, crew encountered poor weather conditions and decided to reduced his altitude to avoid an icing area. While cruising at low altitude in clouds, aircraft hit a peak with its left wing and crashed downwards on the slope of the mountains. The wreckage and both dead bodies were found seven months later.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express near Lhasa

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-23682

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Kunming - Jorhat

MSN:

648

Location:

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Circumstances:

En route, crew encountered poor weather conditions with severe icing and strong winds. The aircraft deviated from the prescribed track and in low visibility, hit a mountain slope located in the region of Lhasa, Tibet. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft was found. The wreckage was eventually spotted in July 1994 at the altitude of 14,000 feet in a glacier.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando near Goliang: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24708

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Schedule:

Mohanbari - Kunming

MSN:

26629

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight from Mohanbari to Kunming, China. En route, the aircraft crashed in a mountainous region of the Arunachal Pradesh. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft was found. In 1962, hunters discovered the wreckage on the slope of a mountain, at an altitude of 12,000 feet, near the village of Goliang. Debris were spotted some 400 feet from the top.
Crew:
Captain Alvin N. Catalano, pilot,
Lieutenant Robert F. Kearns, copilot,
John T. Briggette, radio operator,
Corporal J. W. Sadler, engineer.

Crash of a Douglas C-47 in Kunming: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

MSN:

6034

YOM:

1942

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a cargo flight to Kunming-Wujiaba Airport. On final approach by night and in poor weather conditions, the crew was unable to localize the airport due to heavy rain falls. In addition to a high workload in the cockpit due to the preceding factors, crew encountered technical problems with the landing gear that could not be deployed properly. The captain decided to abort the landing procedure, increased the engine power and completed a low pass over the airport before attempting a second approach. In a certain confusion, he followed the wrong heading and continued bound to the west. Few minutes later, the aircraft hit a mountain slope near the airport and was destroyed by impact forces. All three crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-53 in Kunming: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 19, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

MSN:

7406

YOM:

1942

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a cargo flight with a load of bank notes. On final approach to Kunming, the visibility was low due to heavy rain falls and a cloud layer at 100 feet. The aircraft hit the ground hundreds yards short of runway, broke into several pieces and burned. The copilot was injured while both other occupants were killed. Thousands of bank notes were found on a large area.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-20-CU Commando in Kunming: 2 killed

Date & Time: Nov 18, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-24663

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type: