Investigation Summary
The accident occurred during the post-World War II period as the U.S. military supported operations in the China-Burma-India theater, specifically transporting 55 Chinese soldiers. The flight originated from Hankou (Wuhan). While some records list Nanyuan Airport as the destination, the USAAF accident investigation report specifies the intended landing site was Lantienchang (Landianchang) Airfield, a facility constructed by Japanese forces during the war. Weather conditions at the time were poor, characterized by an overcast ceiling of approximately 300 feet. Due to a lack of dedicated radio beacons at the destination, the crew, led by Captain Sadler, utilized a commercial broadcasting station as a navigational aid. Approximately 25 kilometers west-northwest of the airfield, the aircraft struck a radio antenna whose top was 1,000 feet above airfield elevation. The impact caused the C-46 to fly for another 500 feet before crashing into a field in the Haidian District. The investigation highlighted that the antenna was a significant obstacle not documented on the aeronautical charts provided to the crew, leading to a fatal lack of situational awareness.
Final Conclusions
The crash was classified as a controlled flight into terrain (CFIT). The primary contributing factors were poor visibility due to low cloud cover and the presence of an unmarked 300-meter radio antenna in the flight path. The crew was likely unaware of the obstacle because it was missing from their navigation charts.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Systems & Failure Modes
Navigation Charts
The primary source of obstacle data for the crew, which failed to indicate the presence of the 300-meter radio antenna.
Interesting Facts
- 01The aircraft was a Curtiss C-46F-1-CU Commando manufactured in 1945, with manufacturer serial number (MSN) 22414.
- 02The radio antenna struck by the aircraft was estimated to be 300 meters tall (1,000 feet above airfield elevation).
- 03The crash site was located 25 kilometers west-northwest of the destination airfield at coordinates 39.8631333 N, 116.1147278 E.
- 04Navigation charts used by the crew did not include the location or height of the antenna.
- 05The crew was using a commercial broadcasting station for navigation due to a lack of dedicated radio beacons.
- 06The cloud ceiling at the time of the accident was reported at approximately 300 feet.
Safety Actions & Advisories
Obstacle Charting Review
The investigation emphasized the critical need for accurate and updated aeronautical charts, particularly regarding tall man-made obstacles like radio antennas that were not previously documented during wartime operations.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the wikidata coordinate.