6 fatalities

1964-07-27: Curtiss C-46 Commando (6340) — Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) — Pingtung, Taiwan

Pingtung, TaiwanFlight

On July 27, 1964, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 6340) operated by Republic of China Air Force (Taiwan) was involved in an aviation accident near Pingtung, Taiwan in flight. 6 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Three aircraft in a formation flight struck a mountain slope during the cruise phase of their mission. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 1781242929Data APIEditorial standards

A formation flight involving six aircraft resulted in a mid-air disaster near Pingtung, leading to the destruction of three machines and multiple fatalities.

What happened

During a scheduled local training mission operating out of Pingtung, a group of six aircraft was performing maneuvers in a formation. While the group was in the cruise phase of flight, a catastrophic event occurred involving three of the participating aircraft. All three machines simultaneously collided with a mountain slope located in the vicinity of Pingtung.

The impact resulted in the total destruction of the three involved aircraft. The incident resulted in 18 fatalities across the three airframes. Each of the three aircraft was carrying a crew of six members at the time of the accident.

Findings

  • The collision occurred while the aircraft were flying in a formation of six units.
  • The disaster involved the simultaneous impact of three separate aircraft against terrain.

Probable cause

Three aircraft in a formation flight struck a mountain slope during the cruise phase of their mission.