The Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando with the aircraft registration number 44-77577 had been delivered to the United States Air Force on December 14, 1944. According to some sources, in July 1949, it underwent a conversion, which effectively changed the aircraft model to TC-46D.[citation needed]
Accident
Military training maneuvers involving National Guard Air Forces from various states were being conducted in Myrtle Beach prior to the crash, and the military personnel were returning home. Among them was a group of 30 servicemen from the Tennessee Air National Guard , who were heading to Nashville (state of Tennessee). The aircraft was 44–77577, and the crew consisted of four people.[1][2]
However, just a few minutes after takeoff, the aircraft crashed to the ground 9 miles (14½km) northwest of Myrtle Beach[3] and was completely destroyed, causing a large fire at the site. All individuals on board perished.[1]
A total of 39 bodies were recovered from the wreckage, which meant there were actually 5 more people on board than officially listed. It is possible these were military personnel who had boarded the aircraft as a form of transportation. Thus, officially, 39 people were confirmed dead in the crash.[2] It was the deadliest aviation accident in the history of the state of South Carolina.[4]
Investigation
Parts of the wing were discovered a quarter of a mile (about ½km) from where the fuselage fell, which immediately led to speculation of an onboard explosion.[1] However, upon closer examination, it was determined that shortly after takeoff, the left aileron broke apart in its central section, causing it to detach. The aircraft, having climbed to 1,000–2,000 feet (300–600m), went out of the crew's control, and the resulting excessive stress led to the detachment of both wings. Unable to continue flying, the C-46 plummeted to the ground.[4]
This list is incomplete. An asterisk (*) denotes an incident that took place in a U.S. territory.
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This is a list of aviation-related events from 1949:
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1950:
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1951:
This is a list of aviation-related events from 1952:
Civil Air Transport (CAT) was a Nationalist Chinese airline, later owned by the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), that supported United States covert operations throughout East and Southeast Asia. During the Cold War, missions consisted in assistance to "Free World" allies according to the Mutual Defense Assistance Act of 1949.
Aerosucre S.A. is a cargo airline based in Bogotá, Colombia. It began operation in 1969 and operates scheduled international and domestic cargo services throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Its home base is El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá. Aerosucre has been involved in a number of accidents and incidents during its lifetime, and more recently, internet videos have emerged showcasing reckless behavior by its pilots.
Paraense Transportes Aéreos was a Brazilian airline founded in 1952. It ceased operations in 1970.
Lóide Aéreo Nacional S/A was a Brazilian airline founded in 1947 as Transporte Carga Aérea (TCA). It was renamed Lóide Aéreo Nacional in 1949, after it merged with Linhas Aéreas Paulistas (LAP) and Transportes Aéreos Bandeirantes (TABA). It operated until 1962 when it was incorporated into VASP.
Líneas Aéreas Suramericanas S.A.S was a cargo airline based in Bogotá, Colombia. It operated scheduled and chartered cargo flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. Its main base was El Dorado International Airport, Bogotá.
On 7 June 1949, a Strato-Freight Curtiss Wright C-46D, registered in the United States as NC92857, crashed into the Atlantic Ocean 10 km (6.4 mi) west of San Juan-Isla Grande Airport in San Juan, Puerto Rico while en route to Miami, Florida. Of the 81 passengers and crew on board, 53 were killed.
Yonpo Airfield(련포비행장), also known as Yonpo Air Base or K-27 Air Base, is an airport near Hamhung, South Hamgyong Province, North Korea.
On December 16, 1951, a Miami Airlines Curtiss C-46 Commando airliner crashed in the city of Elizabeth, New Jersey, shortly after taking off from nearby Newark Airport. All 58 people on board were killed. At the time, it was the second-deadliest aviation accident on US soil, behind Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2501.
On May 2, 2018, a Lockheed WC-130H transport aircraft of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard crashed in the US state of Georgia, shortly after departing from Savannah Air National Guard Base. The aircraft crashed on Georgia State Route 21 at 11:26 local time. All nine airmen were killed in the accident. All nine were members of the Puerto Rico Air National Guard.
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