No fatalities

Aircraft Crash During Takeoff with No Fatalities (42-3675)

Kunming, ChinaTakeoff (climb)

On October 31, 1944, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 42-3675) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Kunming, China during takeoff. 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

An aircraft crashed during the takeoff phase due to an unknown cause. All four crew members on board were successfully rescued, and the airframe was written off.

What happened

The incident occurred during the takeoff phase of flight. The aircraft encountered a failure or malfunction that resulted in a crash shortly after leaving the ground. The specific technical reason for the accident remains unknown. Despite the severity of the impact, all four crew members on board were rescued from the wreckage. Following the event, the airframe was assessed and declared a total loss, resulting in it being written off.

Findings

No definitive causal factors or contributing elements have been identified in the available records. The investigation into the specific mechanical or operational causes leading to the crash has not yielded a confirmed conclusion.