No fatalities

Aircraft Abandoned Due to Spatial Disorientation in Poor Weather (CA6)

Huaihua, ChinaFlight

On March 31, 1946, a Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3) (registration CA6) operated by Central Air Transport - China was involved in an aviation accident near Huaihua, China in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Loss of spatial orientation due to poor weather conditions during the enroute phase. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 6 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

During an enroute flight, the crew lost orientation due to poor weather conditions and ejected from the aircraft. The plane crashed into a field and was destroyed, but all three occupants survived without injury.

What happened

While operating under enroute conditions, the flight crew encountered deteriorating weather that led to a loss of spatial orientation. Faced with these challenging circumstances, all three individuals on board made the decision to abandon the aircraft. They successfully ejected from the plane, which subsequently impacted the ground in a field. The airframe was destroyed upon impact, but all three occupants emerged from the incident unhurt.

Findings

The primary factor leading to the emergency ejection was the crew's loss of orientation caused by poor weather conditions during the enroute phase of flight.

Probable cause

Loss of spatial orientation due to poor weather conditions during the enroute phase.