Curtiss C-46 Commando

The descent to Shanghai-Longhua Airport was performed in poor visibility due to thick fog. A CNAC DC-3 already crashed in similar conditions two hours earlier. Apparently in an attempt to establish a visual contact with the ground, the crew reduced his altitude when the aircraft crashed in a prairie located few km short of runway. A crew member and thirty passengers were killed while five other occupants were seriously injured.

On December 10, 1946, six Curtis Commando R5C transport planes carrying more than 200 U.S. Marines leave San Diego en route to Seattle. The aircraft, flying entirely by instruments at an altitude of 9,000 feet, encounter heavy weather over southwest Washington. Four turn back, landing at the Portland Airport; one manages to land safely in Seattle, but the sixth plane, carrying 32 Marines, vanishes. Search-and-rescue aircraft, hampered by continuing bad weather, are unable to fly for a week and ground searches prove fruitless. After two weeks, the search for the missing aircraft is suspended. The Navy determines that the aircraft was blown off course by high winds and flew into the side of Mount Rainier (14,410 feet). In July 1947, a ranger at Mount Rainier National Park spots wreckage on South Tahoma Glacier. Search parties examine the debris and confirm that it came from the missing plane. Four weeks later, the bodies are found high on the face of the glacier, but extremely hazardous conditions force authorities to abandon plans to remove them for burial. The 32 U.S. Marines remain entombed forever on Mount Rainier. In 1946, it was the worst accident, in numbers killed aboard an aircraft, in United States aviation history and remains Mount Rainier’s greatest tragedy.
Crew:
Maj Robert V. Reilly, pilot,
Lt Col Alben C. Robertson, copilot,
M/Sgt Wallace J. Slonina, crew chief.
Passengers:
M/Sgt Charles F. Criswell,
Pvt Duane R. Abbott,
Pvt Robert A. Anderson,
Pvt Joe E. Bainter,
Pvt Leslie R. Simmons Jr.,
Pvt Harry K. Skinner,
Pvt Lawrence E. Smith,
Pvt Buddy E. Snelling,
Pvt Bobby J. Stafford,
Pvt William D. St. Clair,
Pvt Walter J. Stewart,
Pvt John C. Stone,
Pvt Albert H. Stubblefield,
Pvt William R. Sullivan,
Pvt Chester E. Taube,
Pvt Harry L. Thompson Jr.,
Pvt Duane S. Thornton,
Pvt Keith K. Tisch,
Pvt Eldon D. Todd,
Pvt Richard P. Trego,
Pvt Charles W. Truby,
Pvt Harry R. Turner,
Pvt Ernesto R. Valdovin,
Pvt Gene L. Vremsak,
Pvt William E. Wadden,
Pvt Donald J. Walker,
Pvt Gilbert E. Watkins,
Pvt Duane E. White,
Pvt Louis A. Whitten.
Source:
http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=7820

Shortly after takeoff from runway 32, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked left and right, then nosed down and crashed in a paddy field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 24 occupants, among them 3 civilians, were killed. The crew was completing a mail flight from Tachikawa AFB to Fukuoka with an intermediate stop in Osaka-Itami Airport. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were considered as marginal and it is believed that the left engine was not running at impact for reason that could not be determined with certainty.

On approach to Iwo Jima Island by night, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 15 miles offshore. All 23 occupants were killed.

Few minutes after its takeoff from Xichang Airport, while climbing to an altitude of 15,000 feet, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Lochi, killing all 31 occupants. The registration and the exact type of aircraft (C-47 or C-46) remains unknown.

On final approach to Cuenca, the pilot decided to abandon the landing procedure and started a go around. Shortly later, while trying to gain height, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located 1,500 meters from the airfield. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 30 occupants were killed. The reason why the crew decided to make a go around remains unknown.

Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located less than 2 km from the airfield. Both pilots and 11 passengers were killed, 36 other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

Enroute, an engine caught fire. The crew tried to extinguish the fire, without success. Due to the situation, all seven occupants decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in flames in a field. All seven crew members were unhurt while the aircraft was destroyed. It was confirmed that the fire spread from the engine to the wing that detached shortly later, causing the aircraft to crash.

The aircraft left Tinian AFB, North Mariana Islands, at 1520LT bound for Kiangwan AFB in Shanghai. On approach, the crew encountered technical problems with the controls and several attempts to land were aborted. Eventually, ground control instructed the crew to fly to the north and to abandon the aircraft but while cruising at 5,000 feet, the Commando went out of control and crashed near Luojingzhen, on the shore of the Yangtze River, about 20 km north of the airbase. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert L. Austen,
Sgt Irwin C. Bruser,
Sgt Jessey F. Campbell,
Sgt John H. Eckert,
Sgt Jarvis D. Maddux,
Sgt Peter Naberenzy,
S/Sgt Robert M. Rogers,
T/Sgt Delbert D. Shoeman,
1st Lt Robert E. Tambert,
S/Sgt La Dessie W. Tarver,
Sgt Abraham Yablonsky.

On final approach to Tinian Airfield, the twin engine aircraft crashed in a field. There were no injuries but the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.