10 fatalities

Aircraft Vanishes Over Bahamas, Debris Found Weeks Later (51-2680)

Acklins Island, BahamasFlight

On June 5, 1965, a Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar (registration 51-2680) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Acklins Island, Bahamas in flight. 10 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Due to lack of evidence, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident. 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 departed Homestead AFB with ten aboard, vanished during night flight over Bahamas. No distress call. SAR suspended. Debris later found on Acklins Island.

Narrative

On an unspecified date, an aircraft departed Homestead AFB at 1947 local time, bound for Cockburn Town, Turks & Caicos Islands. On board were a crew of five and five mechanics, who were tasked with repairing the engine of a C-119 aircraft. During the evening, while cruising over the Bahamas in night conditions, the aircraft disappeared from radar screens. The crew was unable to send any distress call. The last radio communication was recorded while the aircraft was over the region of Crooked Island.

Search and Recovery

Extensive search and rescue operations were conducted for several days but were eventually suspended, as no trace of the aircraft nor its ten occupants was found. On July 18, 1965, debris was discovered on a beach located on Acklins Island, Bahamas.

Investigation

The official investigation was unable to determine the exact cause of the accident due to lack of evidence.

Probable cause

Due to lack of evidence, it was not possible to determine the exact cause of the accident.