No fatalities

Aircraft ditched due to fuel exhaustion after failing to locate destination (41-24748)

India, IndiaFlight

On January 1, 1944, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 41-24748) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near India, India in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Fuel exhaustion resulting from the inability to localize the destination airport due to adverse weather conditions. 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

Pilots abandoned an aircraft en route from China after weather prevented them from finding the airport, leading to a crash in a field with no injuries.

What happened

The crew was operating a flight originating from China when they encountered deteriorating weather conditions en route. These adverse conditions prevented the pilots from visually identifying or localizing their destination airport. Despite completing several circuits over the intended area, the team remained unable to acquire visual contact with the airfield.

As fuel reserves became critically low, the captain made the decision to abandon the aircraft. The crew bailed out of the plane, leaving it unmanned. Without pilot control, the aircraft entered a dive and impacted the ground in a field. The impact resulted in the total destruction of the airframe. Remarkably, all members of the crew survived the incident without sustaining any injuries.

Findings

The primary factor leading to the accident was the inability of the flight crew to locate the destination airport due to poor weather conditions. This situation escalated into a fuel exhaustion scenario, forcing the emergency evacuation of the aircraft while it was still airborne.

Probable cause

Fuel exhaustion resulting from the inability to localize the destination airport due to adverse weather conditions.