We’re still collecting data for this aircraft. Routes appear once we’ve seen it fly enough times.
En route from San Antonio to Mobile at an altitude of 2,500 feet, the crew informed ATC that the left engine caught fire. He elected to divert to the nearest airport but few minutes later, the left wing detached and the airplane crashed in flames in a field located in Katy, about 27 miles west of Houston. The aircraft was destroyed and both pilots were killed. Probable cause (official findings): It was determined that the 8th cylinder on the left engine failed in flight, causing hydraulic leak.
Curtiss C-46 Commando · 2 fatalities