Incident Overview
Date: Tuesday 10 October 1944
Aircraft Type: Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 42-96553
Location: Xinjin District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province –
ÿ China
Phase of Flight: Unknown
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3
Component Affected: Curtiss C-46A aircraftCurtiss C-46A aircraft
Category: Accident
A mid-air collision occurred between two Curtiss C-46A aircraft, 42-96553 and 42-96699, at Hsinching. Both pilots, Captain Estes SWINDLE and Captain Elmer Miller, were killed. This incident likely involved the loss of multiple crew members, including Charles L. BARTLETT, William H. BLUM, William C. KING.A mid-air collision occurred between two Curtiss C-46A aircraft, 42-96553 and 42-96699, at Hsinching. Both pilots, Captain Estes SWINDLE and Captain Elmer Miller, were killed. This incident likely involved the loss of multiple crew members, including Charles L. BARTLETT, William H. BLUM, William C. KING.
Description
Two Curtiss C-46A, registered 42-96553 and 42-96699 respectively, were involved in a mid-air collision at Hsinching. Estes T. SWINDLE (captain of 42-96553) and Elmer E. MILLER (captain of 42-96699) were both killed. Based on the list of USAAF servicemen who died in China, the following crew members likely also perished in this mid-air collision accident: Charles L. BARTLETT William H. BLUM William C. KING
Source of Information
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp, https://zschina.nanjing.gov.cn/ztzl/bwgjl/202409/t20240902_4755537.html, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/273793488/estes-t-swindle, https://ww2fallen100.blogspot.com/2017/09/ww2-fallen-flying-tiger-estes-swindle.htmlhttp://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asp, https://zschina.nanjing.gov.cn/ztzl/bwgjl/202409/t20240902_4755537.html, https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/273793488/estes-t-swindle, https://ww2fallen100.blogspot.com/2017/09/ww2-fallen-flying-tiger-estes-swindle.htmlPrimary Cause
Mid-air collisionMid-air collisionShare on:
