Date & Time:
Sep 23, 1943 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12356
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
McClellan - Seattle
MSN:
26483
YOM:
1943
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
1
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
In the evening, the crew left McClellan AFB, near Sacramento, on a routine flight to Seattle, Washington. After take off, the pilot completed a circuit over the airport to reach the assigned altitude of 16,500 feet and reduced the engine power to 2,300 RPM. After few minutes, the right engine failed, followed shortly later by the left engine. A crew member was able to bail out before the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. All five occupants were killed while the sixth was found alive.
Crew:
Cpt Marvin E. Bradley,
Cpl Robert E. Delmar,
2nd Lt Christopher P. Gadsden Jr.,
2nd Lt Joe F. Welch.
Crew:
Cpt Marvin E. Bradley,
Cpl Robert E. Delmar,
2nd Lt Christopher P. Gadsden Jr.,
2nd Lt Joe F. Welch.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.
