4 fatalities

Missing Flight Incident in Yunnan Mountains (42-72418)

Yunnan, ChinaFlight

On March 16, 1945, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster (registration 42-72418) operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Yunnan, China in flight. 4 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 2026-08-05Data APIEditorial standards

An aircraft disappeared while operating a route between India, China, and Burma. The wreckage was never located, with the crash site believed to be in the western mountains of Yunnan Province.

What happened

The incident involved an aircraft conducting a flight operation that connected India, China, and Burma. During this journey, the plane went missing in mountainous terrain. Search efforts failed to locate the wreckage, leading investigators to believe the crash occurred in the western mountains of the Yunnan Province.

Findings

Due to the remote nature of the suspected crash site and the failure to recover debris, no definitive physical evidence was obtained. The specific cause of the accident remains unknown, as the aircraft and its occupants were never found. The crew consisted of four military personnel, including a captain, a first lieutenant, a technical sergeant, and a private.