Incident Overview
Date: Wednesday 7 February 1945
Aircraft Type: Douglas C-47B-20-DK (DC-3)
Owner/operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
Registration Number: 43-49657
Location: 123 km W of Hechi –
ÿ China
Phase of Flight: En route
Status: Destroyed, written off
Casualties: Fatalities: 37 / Occupants: 39
Component Affected: C-47B transport plane engine.C-47B transport plane engine.
Category: Accident
On October 26, 1945, a C-47B transport plane operated from Xi’an to Kunming, China, experienced a spin and recovery following an engine fire. Four crew members and 35 Chinese passengers were on board. The aircraft was flying at a cruising altitude of 23,000 feet above a solid overcast. The pilot ordered a bailout, and the plane entered a spin, recovering and descending while trailing flames. Both crew members exited the aircraft and witnessed its descent.On October 26, 1945, a C-47B transport plane operated from Xi’an to Kunming, China, experienced a spin and recovery following an engine fire. Four crew members and 35 Chinese passengers were on board. The aircraft was flying at a cruising altitude of 23,000 feet above a solid overcast. The pilot ordered a bailout, and the plane entered a spin, recovering and descending while trailing flames. Both crew members exited the aircraft and witnessed its descent.
Description
The C-47B transport plane operated on a flight from Hsian to Kunming, China. There were four crew members and 35 Chinese passengers on board as the airplane took off about 15:00. The airplane operated at a cruising altitude of 23.000 feet and above a solid overcast. At 19:15 the pilot ordered the flight surgeon and radio operator to bail out, apparently because the no. 1 engine was on fire. The airplane entered a spin and recovered. Both crew members bailed out and witnessed the airplane going down while trailing flames. The USAAF operated out of a base at Hsian in 1945. The current name of this city is unclear. Xi’an seems unlikely given the location of the accident.
Source of Information
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.asphttp://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/db.aspPrimary Cause
Engine failure during flight.Engine failure during flight.Share on:
