Technical failure | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

While approaching Alameda NAS following a training mission, the seaplane caught fire and crashed in the San Francisco Bay. Three crew members were killed while all five other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Yunnanyi: 1 killed

Date & Time: Nov 10, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

41-18547

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Yunnanyi – Kunming

MSN:

4672

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after take off from Yunnanyi, Airport, while climbing, the right engine caught fire. The crew was able to feather the propeller but could not extinguish the fire. The captain decided to reduce his altitude and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed 24 km from Yunnanyi Airport and was damaged beyond repair. A passenger was killed in the accident.

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL in Dinjan

Date & Time: Nov 4, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Kunming – Dinjan

MSN:

9761

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

On final approach to Dinjan Airport in foggy conditions, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a paddy field few hundred yards short of runway. All three crew members were rescued while the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Both engines failed on approach because the fuel selector was positioned on an empty tank.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-45-CU Commando near Tsuyung: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

42-96639

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Cargo

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

30301

YOM:

1944

Location:

Tsuyung AFB (Chuxiong)

Yunnan

Country:

China

Region:

Asia

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances 20 miles north of Tsuyung while on a cargo flight. All four crew members were killed. It appears the control was lost following an in flight fire.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-135-CO Liberator into the Timor Sea: 10 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

42-110120

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Fenton – Darwin – Kupang

MSN:

3916

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, the four engine aircraft christened 'Sleepy Time Gal' went out of control and crashed into the Timor sea in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
William C. Clarke 9.

Probable cause:

It is believed the accident was caused by an engine failure due to a problem on the fuel supply system.

Crash of a Lockheed PV-1 Ventura into the Pacific Ocean: 5 killed

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed PV-1 Ventura

Operator:

Registration:

NZ4624

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Gisborne – Luganville

MSN:

6271

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route from Gisborne to Luganville, the aircraft suffered an engine failure and crashed into the sea, killing all five crew members.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Caudron C.635 Simoun in Rabat

Date & Time: Oct 26, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun

Operator:

Registration:

482

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Rabat

Rabat-Salé-Zemmour-Zaer

Country:

Morocco

Region:

Africa

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The pilot encountered technical problems after takeoff from Rabat Airport. The airplane crashed five minutes later in a vegetable garden near the airport. All three occupants evacuated safely and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Crew:
Adj/C Jean Jouquant.
Passengers:
Cdt Ohroix,
Sgt/C Chalard.

Crash of a Douglas BD-2 Havoc near Roanoke

Date & Time: Oct 24, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

7039

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

5109

Location:

Roanoke

Virginia

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

En route, both engines failed and the crew was forced to attempt an emergency landing in a pasture. While all four crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was written off.

Probable cause:

Dual engine failure caused by a fuel supply system problem.

Crash of a Martin PBM-3D Mariner off Oahu Island: 9 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1944 at 1200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Martin PBM Mariner

Operator:

Registration:

45287

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

45287

Location:

Oahu Island

Hawaii

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a maritime patrol flight, an engine failed. The captain attempted to ditch the aircraft but the seaplane hit the water surface, broke in two and sunk some 20 miles north of Oahu Island. All nine crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24H-20-CF Liberator near Birkenhead: 24 killed

Date & Time: Oct 18, 1944 at 1540 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

42-50347

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Greencastle - Tibenham

MSN:

778

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with heavy rain falls and turbulence. The four engine bomber exploded in mid-air and dove into the ground before crashing in a field in a huge explosion. All 24 occupants were killed.
Crew:
William Driscoll,
Harold W. Olsen,
J. P. Hennessy,
Roy W. Sechler,
Reginald H. Gehman.
Passengers:
Vincent P. Hamilton,
William F. Price,
Richard M. Blake,
Edward F. Brick,
George J. Leary,
Roland F. Mosher,
Stephen J. Nagy,
Clesen H. Tenney,
Loran A. Umpleby,
Ralph G. Wills,
Robert E. Boyd,
James E. Patterson,
Robert L. Marshall,
Flyod K. Relyea,
Joseph L. Arrigotti,
Albert Engasser,
Frederick L. Mootz,
George S. Moss,
Clarence K. Smith.

Probable cause:

At the time of the accident, the cloud base was at 1,000 feet with an estimated horizontal visibility up to 7 miles. Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the explosion that cause the in flight disintegration of the aircraft. Furthermore, the assumption that the aircraft would have suffered a structural failure was not ruled out. Finally, investigations have been able to determine that no mechanical failure and no fire occurred prior to the final impact.