Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando near Karoi: 34 killed

Date & Time: Feb 4, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-107386
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Schedule:
Chabua – Karachi
MSN:
27073
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
33
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
34
Circumstances:
While cruising some 55 miles west of Jorhat, the crew experienced technical problems and the aircraft caught fire. Out of control, it crashed on the summit of a mountain at an altitude of 2,000 meters and was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire. Only one passenger, T/Sgt Marvin H. Jacobs, survived.
Crew:
Cpt Lawrence C. Archer,
Cpt Kenneth R. Arnette,
Cpl Buster Beck,
1st Lt James W. Brokaw,
S/Sgt Harlan G. Casper,
1st Lt Myron L. Cook,
T/Sgt Allan H. Cousins,
Pvt H. B. Erwin,
T/Sgt Philip Feld,
T/Sgt Robert E. Finks,
1st Lt John A. Flach,
S/Sgt Alva H. Floyd,
Pfc James G. Goodman,
Cpt Thomas J. Harper,
S/Sgt Joseph B. Hewitt Jr.,
S/Sgt Merrill R. Hyde,
T/Sgt Lawrence G. Jacobs,
Sgt Joseph F. Kehrer,
2nd Lt Robert H. Maddox,
Pfc Norman C. Maxfeldt,
1st Lt John F. McDonough Jr.,
S/Sgt David McKissock,
T/Sgt Scott F. Mitchell,
1st Lt Charles B. Moore,
1st Lt Harold B. Morse,
1st Lt Howard S. Pierson,
1st Lt William E. Price,
1st Lt Frederick J. Raubinger,
S/Sgt Ernest B. Schenck,
Cpl Lester F. Sellers,
S/Sgt Forman F. Smith,
F/O Cecil A. Weaver,
1st Lt Louis F. Worland,
1st Lt Marshall Young.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24L-5-CO Liberator in Fenton: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1945 at 2355 LT
Operator:
Registration:
A72-88
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fenton - Fenton
MSN:
5396
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The four engine aircraft crashed when attempting to land at Fenton Airfield, in the Northern Territory, following a bombing raid on Japanese shipping targets in Timor. The Liberator was out of fuel and losing height rapidly. It was just before midnight and conditions were very hazy and the pilot, Flight Lieutenant Arthur Cambridge, could not see the runway flare path. On his first approach to land, he was too far to the left of the runway. He was advised of this by radio contact with ground control. On his second attempt to land, three of the four fuel pressure gauges dropped to zero and the Liberator swung violently to port. Cambridge ordered the crew to crash positions and with his undercarriage still retracted the Liberator crashed through some trees 3 kilometers from Fenton Airfield and struck the ground in a more or less level attitude. A fire broke out below the flight deck, possibly due to damage to the auxiliary power unit. Two crew members were killed while nine other occupants were rescued.
Crew (24th Squadron):
F/Lt Arthur Aram Cambridge, pilot,
W/O F. Crawford, copilot,
F/Lt John Richard Parkinson, bombardier, †
F/O Ivan Fernley Coward, navigator,
F/O Geoffrey Wallace Rhodes, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Allen George Cullen, flight engineer,
F/O John McPherson Pitt, air gunner, †
F/Lt Victor Charles Edward Scanlon, air gunner,
P/O Geoffrey Neil Johnson, radio operator,
Sgt Ernest Lancelot Francis, air gunner,
Sgt Ernest William Jennings, air gunner.
Source: http://www.ozatwar.com/nt29.htm
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion on final approach.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator III in Belfast

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
FK238
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
178
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Upon landing, the nose gear collapsed. The aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest on the runway. All eight crew members evacuated safely while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Nose gear failure on touchdown.

Crash of a Stinson Model A-2W near Redesdale: 10 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1945 at 0825 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
VH-UYY
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Melbourne – Kerang – Mildura – Broken Hill
MSN:
9130
YOM:
1936
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Enroute, the outer port wing broke off. The three engine aircraft christened 'Tokana' dove into the ground and crashed near Redesdale, killing all 10 occupants.
Crew:
Alan Murn, pilot,
Orville Openshaw, copilot.
Probable cause:
It appears that the physical loss of the port wing was caused by a structural failure due to the presence of fatigue cracks. Following this accident, it was decreed that all aircraft should henceforth be x-rayed for signs of cracks and structural weaknesses. The presence of turbulence and strong winds at the time of the accident was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-35-CU Commando in Belle Center: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1945 at 2015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-3669
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Buffalo – Wright Patterson
MSN:
26802
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The C-46 transport plane operated on a military cargo flight from Buffalo, NY to Patterson Field, OH carrying 8000 pounds of cargo. A fire started in the area of the fuel cross-feed valve, APU and gasoline heater. The floor structure weakened due to the intense fire and collapsed. The airplane descended on fire and crashed into trees.
Crew:
Cpt James Wyatt Hartzog,
2nd Lt Francis F. Munchrath,
M/Sgt Jacob Oswalt.
Source:
http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450126-1

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Merauke

Date & Time: Jan 26, 1945 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
A67-6
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
18-2610
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
During takeoff roll, a tyre burst. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. There were no injuries but the aircraft was written off.
Probable cause:
Tyre burst on takeoff.

Crash of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner off Kaneohe NAS: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 23, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
59015
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Kaneohe - Kaneohe
MSN:
59015
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While on a training flight, the seaplane went out of control and crashed two miles off Kanehoe NAS, killing all eight crew members.
Probable cause:
It appears the lost of control was caused by an engine failure.

Crash of a De Havilland DH.60G Gipsy Moth near Dakar

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-90485
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Few minutes after take off from Dakar-Yoff Airport, the engine failed, forcing the pilot to attempt an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed some 10 miles northeast of the airport and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. The pilot, 2nd Lt Frank L. Loftus, was injured.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Minsk

Date & Time: Jan 22, 1945
Operator:
Registration:
CCCP-L901
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Moscow – Minsk – Kaunas – Šiauliai
MSN:
12890
YOM:
29
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Moscow-Vnukovo to Šiauliai with intermediate stops in Minsk and Kaunas, carrying a load of newspapers. About 15 minutes after takeoff from Minsk Airport, the right engine failed. The captain decided to return but on final approach, he was forced to make a go around for undetermined reasons. A second attempt to land was also abandoned few minutes later and during the initial climb, the left engine failed as well. The aircraft stalled, hit a telephone pole and the roof of a house before coming to rest in a garden. All six occupants were slightly injured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure for undetermined reason.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV in Comilla

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
KJ948
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
26240/14795
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after take off from Comilla Airport, while in initial climb, an engine failed. The pilot retracted the gear and attempted an emergency belly landing in a paddy field. While there were no casualties, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.