No fatalities

Belly Landing Due to Technical Failure (42-107307)

Lüliang, ChinaFlight

On October 18, 1944, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 42-107307) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Lüliang, China in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Unknown technical problem. 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

Aircraft made an emergency belly landing en route due to unknown technical issues, resulting in no injuries but total loss of the airframe.

What happened

During the en route phase of flight, the crew encountered unknown technical problems that necessitated an immediate response. Unable to continue normal operations or land on wheels, the pilots executed a belly emergency landing. The maneuver was successful in bringing the aircraft to a stop without any personnel injuries. However, the impact and subsequent condition of the airframe resulted in it being declared a total loss.

Findings

The official investigation concluded that the incident was caused by an unknown technical problem. No specific mechanical failure or human error was identified as the primary contributor beyond the initial unexplained technical issue.

Probable cause

Unknown technical problem