No fatalities

Aircraft crash in a prairie following fuel exhaustion (41-12327)

Nanning, ChinaFlight

On November 16, 1943, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 41-12327) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Nanning, China in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The crew ejected from the aircraft after it suffered a total loss of fuel. 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 into a field after the crew bailed out due to running out of fuel. All four occupants survived the incident without injury.

What happened

The flight crew passed over Kunming Airport and proceeded southeast along their intended route. Approximately ten minutes later, the aircraft experienced a complete loss of fuel. The captain instructed the remaining crew members to abandon the airframe. All four individuals on board ejected from the plane successfully. Following their departure, the unmanned aircraft descended and impacted the ground in a grassy area.

Findings

Investigations indicated that the decision to eject was necessitated by the depletion of fuel reserves. The official report confirmed that the crew's action to leave the aircraft was taken specifically because they had run out of fuel. All four occupants were reported as uninjured following the crash.

Probable cause

The crew ejected from the aircraft after it suffered a total loss of fuel.