6 fatalities

Fatal Mountain Strike Near Pak Tha (B-148)

Pak Tha, LaosFlight

On July 17, 1963, a Curtiss C-46 Commando (registration B-148) operated by Air America was involved in an aviation accident near Pak Tha, Laos in flight. 6 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 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft crashed into a mountain slope near Pak Tha during bad weather. All six occupants were killed. The crew was reportedly flying under VFR in IMC conditions at a very low altitude to maintain visual contact with the ground.

Incident Overview

A fatal aviation accident occurred when an aircraft collided with the slope of a mountain situated near Pak Tha. The impact resulted in the deaths of all six individuals on board, comprising the total number of occupants.

Operational Context

At the time of the collision, the weather conditions were reported to be poor. Despite these adverse conditions, the flight crew was operating under Visual Flight Rules (VFR). However, they were flying within Instrument Meteorological Conditions (IMC), a significant deviation from standard VFR requirements which typically mandate visual reference to the horizon and ground.

Contributing Factors

Investigative reports indicate that the aircraft was maintained at a very low altitude during the incident. This operational decision appears to have been made specifically to preserve visual contact with the terrain below, likely in an attempt to navigate through the reduced visibility caused by the bad weather. The combination of flying under VFR in IMC and maintaining low altitude contributed to the loss of situational awareness that led to the controlled flight into terrain.