No fatalities

Aircraft Belly Landing Results in Total Loss Without Casualties (42-60997)

Kunming, ChinaLanding (descent or approach)

On July 30, 1944, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 42-60997) 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

An aircraft executed a belly landing for an unknown reason, resulting in damage beyond repair. There were no injuries or fatalities reported during the incident.

What happened

The flight concluded with an abnormal landing event when the aircraft touched down on its underside rather than its main landing gear. This uncontrolled contact with the ground caused significant structural harm to the airframe. The extent of the damage was assessed as irreparable, rendering the aircraft a total loss. Despite the severity of the impact and the subsequent write-off status of the machine, the event did not result in any harm to those on board. It was confirmed that there were no casualties associated with this occurrence.

Findings

Investigations into the specific sequence of events leading up to the touchdown have not identified a definitive mechanical failure or external factor. The official record indicates that the reason for the belly landing remains undetermined. Consequently, no specific contributing factors such as pilot error, system malfunction, or environmental conditions have been formally cited in the available documentation.