Incident Overview
Description
Because of the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli conflict the USA had enforced an arms embargo on a.o. Israel. Thus, the Panamanian airline LAPSA (Lineas Areas de Panama) was used as a cover for the acquisition of ten C-46 and three L-049 Constellations, by Israeli agents in the USA during late 1947/early 1948. Two C-46s still registered with LAPSA (RX-130 and RX-136) flew from Zatec, Czech Republic to Israel carrying bombs and a Czech fighter plane. A thick fog enveloped Ekron and people on the ground lit fires to guide in the cargo planes. RX-130 landed uneventfully, but RX-136, headed instead for Tel Aviv-Yafo-Sde-Dov Airport. The gunners at that field did not expect an inbound flight and opened fire at the C-46 through the fog. Having abandoned the landing and flying through the countryside, RX-136 crashed on a gentle slope south of Latrun. The S-199 fuselage broke free on impact and slid forward into the cockpit, killing the navigator.
Primary Cause
Covert acquisition of aircraft by Israeli agents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.Covert acquisition of aircraft by Israeli agents during the 1948 Arab-Israeli conflict.Share on:
