No fatalities

Aircraft Crash During Takeoff Due to Engine Fire (41-12319)

Kunming, ChinaTakeoff (climb)

On August 3, 1943, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 41-12319) 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. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: An engine fire occurred during takeoff, leading to the crash. 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 shortly after takeoff following an engine fire. The incident resulted in no fatalities or injuries.

What happened

The accident occurred during the initial climb phase, immediately following the start of the takeoff roll. An engine fire broke out on the airframe, leading to a loss of control or structural integrity that forced the aircraft to crash shortly after leaving the ground. Despite the severity of the impact and the fire, there were no casualties reported among those on board.

Findings

The official investigation identified the primary contributing factor as the engine fire itself. The rapid onset of the fire during the critical takeoff phase was determined to be the direct cause of the crash.

Probable cause

An engine fire occurred during takeoff, leading to the crash.