Country
code

Arunachal Pradesh

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-75-CO Liberator near Wakro: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 25, 1944
Operator:
Registration:
42-100184
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Yankai - Chabua
MSN:
3333
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
3
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a ferry flight from Yankai, China, to Chabua AFB. Some 30 minutes prior to the ETA, the four engine aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a mountainous terrain located in the region of Wakro. All 9 occupants were killed. The three passengers were on their way home.
Crew (308th Bomb Group):
1/Lt Robert W. King, pilot,
Lt John B. Byron, copilot,
1/Lt Eugene L. Bernstein, navigator,
T/Sgt Robert R. Riley, flight engineer and air gunner,
T/Sgt John J. Reagan, radio operator and air gunner,
S/Sgt Garland J. Reed, air gunner.
Passengers:
Cpt Thomas H. Clare,
S/Sgt Raymond J. Bridge,
Cpl Merle L. Pickup.
Photos available on
http://www.miarecoveries.org/gal13_B-24J_42-100184.html

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando near Itanagar: 4 killed

Date & Time: Mar 24, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-24717
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Chabua AFB - Ondal - Tezpur
MSN:
26638
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Chabua AFB (Dibrugargh) to Tezpur with an intermediate stop in Ondal. En route, while cruising over the south part of Arunachal Pradesh in poor weather conditions, the aircraft crashed in a mountainous region located 11 km north of Itanagar. SAR operation were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Eventually, the wreckage was found in 2007.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-25-CU in Mangnung: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 20, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-24724
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kunming - Misamari
MSN:
26645
YOM:
0
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While cruising at a height of 8,000 feet over the mountainous region of Arunachal Pradesh, crew informed ground he was losing his orientation and could not locate his position due to poor weather conditions (heavy rain falls). Captain also requested to ATC if they were able to see his lights but the answer was negative. Thirty seconds later, the aircraft hit a mountain slope and was demolished, killing all four occupants.
Crew:
2nd Lieutenant Jack Hunter, pilot,
2nd Lieutenant Alfred S. Hemmer, copilot,
Sergeant Inman A. Watson, radio operator,
Staff Sergeant John L. Weinberg, flight engineer.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-25-CU Commando near Goliang: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-24708
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Mohanbari - Kunming
MSN:
26629
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cargo flight from Mohanbari to Kunming, China. En route, the aircraft crashed in a mountainous region of the Arunachal Pradesh. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft was found. In 1962, hunters discovered the wreckage on the slope of a mountain, at an altitude of 12,000 feet, near the village of Goliang. Debris were spotted some 400 feet from the top.
Crew:
Captain Alvin N. Catalano, pilot,
Lieutenant Robert F. Kearns, copilot,
John T. Briggette, radio operator,
Corporal J. W. Sadler, engineer.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-60-DL near Walong: 3 killed

Date & Time: Nov 2, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-24360
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Yunnanyi - Misamari
MSN:
10222
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew left Yunnanyi Airport at 0840LT on a cargo flight to Misamari, India. The aircraft failed to arrive and SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft was found. The wreckage was localized and identified on October 9, 1944, at the altitude of 14,570 feet some 7 days trekking east of Walong, Arunachal Pradesh. All three crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were considered as good.
Crew (24th Transport Group):
2nd Lt Edgar L. Corbiere,
1st Lt John A. Deaux Jr.,
Cpl Paul E. Pakari.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-30-CO Liberator near Itanagar: 10 killed

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-40069
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Kunming – Chabua
MSN:
1146
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane named 'Pregnant Swan' departed Kunming on a flight to Chabua AFB, Assam. The crew failed to locate the destination airport and continued to the west. As the airplane failed to arrive in Chabua, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. The wreckage was found 20 September 2008 in a dense wooded area located at an altitude of 2,800 feet near Itanagar, some 160 km west southwest of Chabua AFB. All 10 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Maj Robert W. Fensler, pilot,
2nd Lt Phillips G. Huffman, pilot,
2nd Lt Gerald E. Owens, copilot,
T/Sgt Erle H. Thayer, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Aubrey E. Stevenson, assistant flight engineer,
2nd Lt Frederick W. Ossenfort, navigator,
T/Sgt ​​Norman H. Prix, radio operator,
S/Sgt Louis F. Verhaegen, assistant radio operator,
2nd Lt Harvey M. Nix, bombardier,
S/Sgt Sandav E. Rivardo, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-53-DO Skytrooper near Roing: 6 killed

Date & Time: Jan 31, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
MA929
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Dinjan – Fort Hertz
MSN:
4933
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Dinjan Airport at 1330LT on a routine flight to Fort Hertz, Burma. About 30 minutes later, it was spotted by the pilot of a Hudson flying at an altitude of 7,000 feet near the city of Kanku, Arunachal Pradesh. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended as no trace of the airplane nor the crew was found. The wreckage was found on 25 December 2017 at an altitude of 10,412 feet some 5 days walk northeast of the locality of Roing.
Crew:
F/O Hugh John Munro Campbell, pilot,
Sgt John Orson Nicholls, pilot,
Ac1 Thomas Gladstone Williamson, wireless operator,
P/O Kenneth Ross Phelps, air gunner,
W/O Joseph Jean Jacques Fernand Casaubon, air gunner.
Passenger:
Lt Norman Lee Baugh.

Crash of a North American B-25 Mitchell near Khonsa

Date & Time: Oct 18, 1942
Operator:
Registration:
41-29730
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
MSN:
87-7895
YOM:
1941
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
It seems that the crew abandoned the airplane that crashed in a mountainous area located north of Khonsa, while on a mission from Dinjan. There were no casualties.