4 fatalities

C-47 Crash in Darwin River Kills Four Crew Members (42-96786)

Darwin River, AustraliaFlight

On February 28, 1945, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration 42-96786) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Darwin River, Australia in flight. 4 people were killed. 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

A military transport aircraft crashed into the Darwin River under unknown circumstances, resulting in the fatalities of all four crew members on board.

What happened

A military aircraft met with a fatal accident while operating over the Darwin River. The specific sequence of events leading to the crash remains undocumented in the available records. Upon impact, the airframe was destroyed, and there were no survivors among the personnel on board.

The incident resulted in the death of all four individuals comprising the flight crew. The victims included a Staff Sergeant and three other enlisted or officer personnel who were serving as part of the operating team at the time of the accident. No further details regarding the specific conditions, weather, or mechanical status prior to the impact have been preserved in this record.

Findings

The investigation into this event did not yield a definitive determination of the cause. The circumstances surrounding the crash are classified as unknown, meaning no contributing factors, pilot error, or mechanical failures could be conclusively identified from the available evidence.