Crash of a Douglas C-47B-30-DK Dakota C.4 in Jodhpur

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
KN526
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
16325/33073
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
An engine failed just after liftoff. The aircraft stalled and belly landed and slid for several yards before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK Dakota C.3 in Calcutta

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
KG538
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
13021
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff, the right engine caught fire. The crew was able to extinguish the fire and the propeller was feathered. The captain decided to return to Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport when on touchdown, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance. It overran and collided with a water tank before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Engine fire.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-5-CK near Dibrugarh: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 31, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
43-47003
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
74
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances 56 km northwest of Dibrugarh, killing all three crew members.
Crew:
F/O Clyde C. Finley,
T/Sgt Donald Frega,
2nd Lt Arthur H. Rogers.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota III in Raitali: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 19, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
FL603
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Mumbai – Mauripur
MSN:
12013
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft left Bombay-Santa Cruz Airport at 0725LT on a flight to Mauripur AFB in Karachi with a crew of three, six passengers, mail and freight. About thirty minutes later, a catastrophic failure cause the left engine to detach. A part of the left wing was sheared off and the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a prairie in Raitali. All nine occupants were killed.
Crew (353rd Squadron):
F/O S. D. Woodman, pilot,
W/O J. P. Shanahan, navigator,
W/O P. W. Williams, wireless operator and air gunner.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated C-109 Liberator Express near Golaghat: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 6, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
44-49704
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
4559
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Golaghat, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Sgt James E. Hughes,
Cpt Walter Klemme,
Pfc Cloyce D. Pierce,
F/O Charles S. Sercombe.

Crash of a Consolidated C-109 Liberator Express in Tulihal: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 30, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
44-48999
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Shamshernagar – Imphal
MSN:
3754
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Crashed enroute to Imphal in unknown circumstances, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
S/Sgt Forrest T. Craig,
Cpt Boyd H. Gallaher Jr.,
Cpl Richard H. Gilmore,
1st Lt Gordon H. Tucker.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator VI near Amarda Road: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1945 at 0945 LT
Operator:
Registration:
EW247
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Amarda Road - Amarda Road
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
At 0915LT, six Liberators of AFTU took off from Amarda Rd Airfield to carry out a navigational exercise in formation. At approximately 0945LT, the formation, which had been encountering medium to bad weather, approached a heavy bank of cloud. The leader, S/Ldr Heynert, commenced to lose height in an attempt to fly underneath this, but reached the cloud before he was quite low enough and the formation entered the cloud. Number 6 by this time was some little way behind the formation. On entering the cloud visibility was reduced to nil and numbers 2 and 5 in the formation altered course starboard and number 4 altered course port. On coming out of the cloud aircraft number 1 (EW225) and aircraft number 3 (EW247) captained by PO Herbert, were seen to be in close proximity, and number 3 was then seen to pull up and collide with number 1. The tail unit of number 1 was torn off and the aircraft crashed out of control, and one wing (which one not established) of number 3 was torn off, causing the aircraft to crash.
Crew:
F/O Alfred Herbert, pilot,
F/O Peter Hubert Ash Smith, navigator and bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Cyril William Geeson, flight engineer,
W/O William Joseph Smart, wireless operator and air gunner,
AC1 George William Paffey,
AC2 P. V. Mathai.
Source: http://www.rquirk.com/amarda/26July45storyV6eb.pdf
Final Report:

Crash of a Consolidated B-24 Liberator VI near Amarda Road: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jul 26, 1945 at 0945 LT
Operator:
Registration:
EW225
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Amarda Road - Amarda Road
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
At 0915LT, six Liberators of AFTU took off from Amarda Rd Airfield to carry out a navigational exercise in formation. At approximately 0945LT, the formation, which had been encountering medium to bad weather, approached a heavy bank of cloud. The leader, S/Ldr Heynert, commenced to lose height in an attempt to fly underneath this, but reached the cloud before he was quite low enough and the formation entered the cloud. Number 6 by this time was some little way behind the formation. On entering the cloud visibility was reduced to nil and numbers 2 and 5 in the formation altered course starboard and number 4 altered course port. On coming out of the cloud aircraft number 1 (EW225) and aircraft number 3 (EW247) captained by PO Herbert, were seen to be in close proximity, and number 3 was then seen to pull up and collide with number 1. The tail unit of number 1 was torn off and the aircraft crashed out of control, and one wing (which one not established) of number 3 was torn off, causing the aircraft to crash.
Crew:
S/Ldr Félicité Pierre André Heynert, pilot,
P/O Raymond Maurice Bullen, pilot,
F/O Robert Stanley Manson, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Lt Alexander Norman Borrow, navigator and bomb aimer,
P/O Lewis Arnold Bridgman, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/O Peter Ettlinger, flight engineer,
F/Lt Sydney Wilfred Wells, navigator and bomb aimer,
F/Sgt Walter Reginald George Wood, air bomber.
Source: http://www.rquirk.com/amarda/26July45storyV6eb.pdf
Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota III in Bhuj

Date & Time: Jul 21, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
KG539
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
13022
YOM:
1944
Location:
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Bhuj Airfield, the right engine failed. The captain decided to attempt an emergency landing in a desert area located 19 km northwest of the airport. The aircraft belly landed and skidded for several yards before coming to rest. While all four crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Failure of the right engine.

Crash of a Consolidated C-109 Liberator Express in Bishmaknagar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jul 17, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
44-49628
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Jorhat – Hsinching
MSN:
4483
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew departed Jorhat on a cargo flight to Hsinching Airfield, Sichuan. As the aircraft failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was spotted by walkers on October 22, 2007 near the village of Bishmaknagar, Arunachal Pradesh.
Crew:
1st Lt Frederick W. Langhorst,
Cpl Robert L. McAdoo Jr.,
Pfc Joseph I. Natvik,
1st Lt Allen R. Turner.