On July 27, 1964, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 6008) 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 struck a mountain slope simultaneously during cruise flight. 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.
A mid-air formation accident involving three aircraft resulted in the deaths of all eighteen people on board during a training mission.
What happened
During a local training flight operating out of Pingtung, three aircraft were flying in a six-machine formation. While the group was in the cruise phase of flight, three of the participating aircraft simultaneously collided with a mountainside located near Pingtung. The impact destroyed all three involved aircraft.
Findings
The incident resulted in 18 fatalities across the three crashed units.
Each of the three aircraft was carrying a crew of six members at the time of the accident.
The collision occurred while the aircraft were performing a formation flight maneuver near mountainous terrain.
Probable cause
Three aircraft in a formation struck a mountain slope simultaneously during cruise flight.