3 fatalities

Unexplained disappearance of aircraft following final radio contact (44-34689)

North Korea, North KoreaFlight

On July 8, 1952, a Douglas A-26 Invader (registration 44-34689) 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. 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 vanished under unknown circumstances after its last communication was recorded at 23:00 local time.

What happened

At approximately 23:00 local time, the aircraft established its final radio contact before disappearing from radar and communication. Following this period of silence, the flight could not be located by search efforts. Despite subsequent investigations, no wreckage or physical evidence regarding the fate of the plane was recovered.

Findings

The circumstances surrounding the disappearance remain unidentified, as no trace of the aircraft was found following its loss of contact. The incident involved a crew consisting of three members, including two captains and one airman. Because no debris was located, the specific sequence of events leading to the loss of the flight remains unconfirmed.