No fatalities

Aircraft crash after fuel exhaustion with crew bailout (42-72193)

Madison, United States of AmericaFlight

On January 16, 1946, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration 42-72193) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Madison, United States of America in flight. No fatalities were reported. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: The aircraft was abandoned by the crew after running out of fuel during flight. 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

All crew members evacuated an aircraft en route due to fuel exhaustion. The plane crashed into a field, but all occupants survived the incident.

What happened

During the enroute phase of flight, the aircraft encountered a critical situation involving fuel exhaustion. In response to this emergency, all crew members decided to abandon the airframe and bail out. Following their evacuation, the uncontrolled aircraft dove toward the ground and ultimately crashed into a field. Remarkably, all occupants were located alive after the impact.

Findings

The official investigation concluded that the accident occurred because the aircraft was abandoned following a fuel exhaustion. This specific mechanical or operational failure regarding fuel supply was identified as the primary factor leading to the loss of control and subsequent crash.

Probable cause

The aircraft was abandoned by the crew after running out of fuel during flight.