3 fatalities

Disappearance of US military aircraft over North Korea (41-39396)

North Korea, North KoreaFlight

On June 13, 1951, a Douglas A-26 Invader (registration 41-39396) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near North Korea, North Korea in flight. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The cause of the disappearance remains unknown as no wreckage or evidence was recovered from the mission area. 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

A United States military aircraft vanished during a night reconnaissance mission over North Korean airspace, leaving no trace of the airframe or its crew.

What happened

During a scheduled nighttime intruder mission conducted over North Korea, an unidentified military aircraft disappeared under unknown conditions. The final communication received from the flight occurred at 0130 local time. Following this last radio contact, the aircraft could not be located by search efforts.

Despite subsequent investigations, no wreckage or debris from the aircraft was ever recovered. Furthermore, there has been no evidence found to account for the status of the crew members on board at the time of the disappearance. The mission's objective involved low-light surveillance, but the specific circumstances surrounding the loss of the aircraft remain unresolved.

Findings

  • The aircraft vanished during a night intruder mission.
  • No trace of the airframe or the personnel was ever recovered.
  • The last known position and status were established via radio contact at 0130LT.

Probable cause

The cause of the disappearance remains unknown as no wreckage or evidence was recovered from the mission area.