Incident Overview
Date: Thursday 1 July 1943
Aircraft Type: Curtiss C-46A-5-CU Commando
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 41-12298
Location: between Tezpur and Kunming –
ÿ Unknown country
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Aircraft missing, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 5 / Occupants: 5
Component Affected: Right wing tipRight wing tip
Category: Accident
A C-46A aircraft, registration 41-12295, experienced a flight in Indochina while on a cargo route from Tezpur to Kunming. Due to poor weather conditions, visibility was limited, leading to a right wing tip damage. A dent was found on the right top side of the fuselage after landing, and a paint residue indicated a vertical impact from a potential collision.A C-46A aircraft, registration 41-12295, experienced a flight in Indochina while on a cargo route from Tezpur to Kunming. Due to poor weather conditions, visibility was limited, leading to a right wing tip damage. A dent was found on the right top side of the fuselage after landing, and a paint residue indicated a vertical impact from a potential collision.
Description
Missing in Indochina while on a cargo flight from Tezpur to Kunming. Another C-46A, 41-12295, flew the same route as 41-12298 at the same time. Flying at 17,500 feet, on instruments, the weather was so poor that at times they could not see the wingtips. After landing at Kunming the right wing tip was found damaged and there was a dent on the right top side of the fuselage. The right wing tip de-icer boot had paint on it and the dent indicated that a vertical object had struck the plane. It was hypothesized that there had been an accidental collision between the aircraft.
Primary Cause
Poor weather conditions during flight.Poor weather conditions during flight.Share on:
