No fatalities

Cargo Aircraft Crash Landing Due to Technical Failure (41-24680)

Kunming, ChinaLanding (descent or approach)

On March 7, 1944, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 41-24680) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Kunming, China during landing or approach. No fatalities were reported. 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

A cargo plane made a crash landing after experiencing an unknown technical failure during flight. The airframe was destroyed, but all four people on board survived without injury.

What happened

During a scheduled cargo operation, the flight crew encountered an unidentified technical malfunction that compromised the safety of the aircraft. Unable to resolve the issue in flight, the crew initiated an emergency landing procedure. The aircraft subsequently crash landed at the destination or nearest suitable location. While the impact resulted in the airframe being damaged beyond repair, all four occupants managed to evacuate the wreckage safely and escaped without sustaining any injuries.

Findings

The specific nature of the technical failure remained unknown based on the available information. The primary outcome was the total loss of the aircraft due to the crash landing, although there were no fatalities or injuries reported among the personnel on board.