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Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando in Yunnanyi

Date & Time: Sep 7, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12431
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
26558
YOM:
1943
Location:
Yunnanyi
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing following a double engine failure. The captain completed a belly landing and while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, there were no casualties.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando in Yunnan

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12430
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
26557
YOM:
1943
Location:
Yunnan
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, an engine failed, forcing the crew to bail out. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed. All four crew were unhurt.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-15-CU Commando in Mowting-hsien: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 18, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12428
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
26555
YOM:
1943
Location:
Mowting-hsien
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
En route, the aircraft exploded and crashed in a prairie, killing all four crew members. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown.
Crew:
Cpl Frank W. Coriell,
F/O Elmer Nelson,
2nd Lt William M. Van Sant,
Cpl Edward C. Walicki.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando in Kunming

Date & Time: Aug 3, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12319
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
26446
YOM:
1943
Location:
Kunming
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on take off following an engine fire. No casualties.
Probable cause:
Engine fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Yunnanyi: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 2, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
41-38656
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kunming – Dibrugarh
MSN:
6039
YOM:
1942
Location:
Yunnanyi
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
En route to Dibrugarh-Mohanbary Airbase in Assam, the aircraft crashed in the region of Yunnanyi, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
2nd Lt Julius W. Dunn,
F/O William E. James,
Cpl William B. Malick.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19430802-3
Probable cause:
The accident was likely caused by the lack of proper direction finding radio equipment facilities at Yunnanyi.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando in Yunnanyi: 2 killed

Date & Time: Jun 23, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12329
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
26456
YOM:
1943
Location:
Yunnanyi
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Crashed shortly after take off, killing both crew members.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando in Kunming

Date & Time: May 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12323
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
26450
YOM:
1943
Location:
Kunming
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing. No casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-53 in Pianma: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
53
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kunming – Dinjan
MSN:
4904
YOM:
1942
Location:
Pianma
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Kunming to Dinjan with a load of tungsten on board. Due to the presence of Japanese forces along the normal route, the crew decided to divert and to follow another route passing over the Pianma Pass. In low visibility due to snow falls, the captain reduced his altitude to maintain a visual contact with the ground when the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located near the Pianma Pass, at the border between China and Burma. All three crew were killed. Some debris of the aircraft were found by hikers in October 1996.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Dali: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 17, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
60
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kunming – Dinjan
MSN:
4681
YOM:
1942
Location:
Dali
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
A load of ammunition and fuel drums was dropped in Kunming. On the return flight to Dinjan, Assam, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain and disappeared. SAR operations did not find any trace of the aircraft nor the crew. Eventually, the wreckage was found in 2011 on the slope of a 13,400 feet high mountain located 15 km northwest of Dali.

Crash of a Douglas DC-2-221 in Kunming: 13 killed

Date & Time: Mar 14, 1942 at 2215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-2
Operator:
Registration:
31
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Kunming – Chongqing
MSN:
1567
YOM:
1937
Location:
Kunming-Wujiaba
Yunnan
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
14
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
13
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Kunming-Wujiaba Airport, while climbing, the airplane encountered difficulties to gain height. It stalled and crashed in a field located two km past the runway end. Four passengers were injured while 13 other occupants were killed. According to survivors, the engine run roughly after rotation.
Crew:
William H. Schuler, pilot, †
Emil Silvan 'Scotty' Scott, copilot, †
T. Z. Woo, radio navigator. †
Passengers:
Maj Lancelot Dennys, Chief of the British Military Mission in China, †
Lt Col Frederick L. Kohler from the US Military Mission, †
Dr. Fenimore B. Lynch, Financial Director by the Central Bank of China, †
Lt Col Otto C. George from the US Military Mission, †
James Percy Russell, broker, †
D. Rocksen, †
Cecil Lowe and his daughter aged five, †
Col Harvey Edwards, employee of the President Roosevelt's mission,
P. C. Fogarty, commissioner of the State of North Burma in China.
Probable cause:
The airplane suffered an engine failure during initial climb and it is believed that it was operated above the MTOW.
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