Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

Following an engine fire in flight, the crew diverted to Tachikawa AFB for an emergency landing. The aircraft belly landed and came to rest in flames. There were no casualties but the airplane was written off.

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando on Mt Tanazawa: 14 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

44-77713

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Atsuji – Tachikawa

MSN:

33109

YOM:

1945

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While approaching Tachikawa AFB runway 19, the airplane hit the slope of Mt Tanazawa located 28 km northwest of the airbase. The aircraft was destroyed and all 14 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Gordon G. Bell,
S/Sgt Paul Bettman,
2nd Lt Charles A. Brewer,
Cpt John W. Brown,
Maj Wallace E. Crawford,
M/Sgt Michael A. Doherty,
T/Sgt James T. Lilley,
Cpt William E. Maher,
Lt Gerald A. Martin,
Pfc Cruz J. Martinez,
Cpl Dario C. Monza,
T/Sgt Donovan C. Morrison,
Sgt Thomas A. Mulhern,
2nd Lt Lawrence J. Sassu.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-15-FA Flying Boxcar in Tachikawa AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

49-0169

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Ashiya – Tachikawa

MSN:

10406

YOM:

1949

Location:

Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo)

Kantō

Country:

Japan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

On final approach to Tachikawa AFB, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located about 6 km from the runway 19 threshold. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Lynuel Bevers,
2nd Lt Joseph E. Binns,
Sgt Ernest D. Carrara,
2nd Lt Eugene H. Class,
T/Sgt Jack Davis.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-20-CU Commando in Tachikawa AFB

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1951

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

44-78473

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

22296

YOM:

1945

Location:

Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo)

Kantō

Country:

Japan

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

All occupants decided to abandon the aircraft after an engine failed in flight. The airplane dove into the ground and crashed about 10 km northeast of Tachikawa AFB. There were no casualties.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-10-DC Skymaster on the Mt Hirugatake: 35 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1950 at 2325 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

42-72704

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Clark – Kadena – Tachikawa

MSN:

10809

YOM:

1945

Location:

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The crew was performing a flight from Clark AFB in Manila to Tachikawa AFB in Tokyo with an intermediate stop in Kadena AFB, Okinawa. On the second leg, while approaching Tachikawa AFB by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and rain falls. While descending to an altitude of 5,000 feet, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Hirugatake (1,279 meters high) located 34 km southwest of the Tachikawa AFB. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 35 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

While approaching Tachikawa AFB, the crew reported his position over the O-Shama radio range station at an altitude of 5,000 feet. Probably due to a navigation error, the aircraft was in reality 40 km more south of this position.

Crash of a Douglas C-54D-5-DC Skymaster near Atsugi: 41 killed

Date & Time: May 29, 1947 at 2245 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-54 Skymaster

Operator:

Registration:

42-72553

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Seoul – Tachikawa

MSN:

10658

YOM:

1945

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft was performing a flight from Seoul-Kimpo to Tachikawa AFB with several US officers and five civilians on board. While approaching the Tokyo area by night and from the southwest, the crew completed a turn at an altitude of 1,500 meters in marginal weather conditions when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located west of the city of Atsugi, about 30 km southwest of Tachikawa AFB. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and burned completely. All 41 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was 10 km with cumulus and altostratus between 1,000 and 2,500 meters.

Probable cause:

Apparently following an inappropriate flight planing, or maybe due to a lack of concentration or situational awareness, the crew did not check their instruments properly and failed to recognize that they were following a wrong heading to land at Tachikawa AFB. It is possible that strong winds (up to 40 knots at the time of the accident) may contribute to the deviation of the approach path.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL into the Pacific Ocean: 4 killed

Date & Time: Dec 11, 1945

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-15423

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Tachikawa – Kadena

MSN:

19889

YOM:

1944

Location:

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Circumstances:

The aircraft left Tachikawa AFB in Tokyo at 1212LT on a ferry flight to Kadena AFB, Okinawa. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended one week later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew:
Cpl Wesley L. Connett Jr.,
1st Lt Floyd G. Levy,
Cpl Harry L. Proctor,
F/Lt Samuel J. Valerio.