List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft (1940–1949)

This list of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft includes notable events that have a corresponding Wikipedia article. Entries in this list meet this list's size criteria—passenger aircraft with a seating capacity of at least 10 passengers, or commercial cargo aircraft of at least 20,000 lb (9,100 kg). The list is grouped by the year in which the accident or incident occurred, and only includes incidents between 1940 and 1949.

1940

• June 14 – In the Kaleva shootdown, Aero Flight 1631, an Aero Junkers Ju 52 en route from Tallinn, Estonia, to Helsinki, Finland, was shot down by two Soviet bombers over the Gulf of Finland during peacetime; all nine on board were killed.
• August 31 – In the Lovettsville air disaster, Pennsylvania Central Airlines Trip 19, a Douglas DC-3A, crashed at Lovettsville, Virginia, United States, during an intense thunderstorm; all 25 on board died.
• November 8 – A Deutsche Lufthansa Ju 90 crashed near Schönteichen in Saxony, Germany, because of tail icing, [...] all 29 passengers and crew on board.

1941

• February 26 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 21, a Douglas DC-3, crashed while descending to land at Atlanta, Georgia, United States, [...] eight of 16 on board; World War I hero and Eastern Air Lines president Eddie Rickenbacker was among the survivors.
• October 30 – American Airlines Flight 1, a Douglas DC-3, stalled and crashed at Lawrence Station, Ontario, Canada, while attempting to find a place to land, [...] all 20 on board; the cause of The crash was never determined.
• October 30 – Northwest Airlines Flight 5, a Douglas DC-3, crashed at Moorhead, Minnesota, in fog, because of icing; of the 15 on board, only the pilot survived.
• December 26 – In the Alma-Ata G-2 crash, a Tupolev G-2 touched the ground with its left wingtip while doing a left turn, then crashed, [...] 26 of the 34 occupants.

1942

• January 16 – TWA Flight 3, a Douglas DC-3 returning to California, crashed into Potosi Mountain 30 miles (48 km) southwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, United States; all 22 on board were killed, including actress Carole Lombard and her mother.
• January 30 – Qantas Short Empire G-AEUH was shot down by seven Japanese fighters and crashed 13 nautical miles (24 km) from East Timor; 13 of 18 on board were killed.
• March 3 – KNILM Douglas DC-3 PK-AFV was shot down by three Japanese fighters and crashed 50 miles (80 km) north of Broome, Western Australia, [...] four of 12 on board.
• October 23 – American Airlines Flight 28, a Douglas DC-3, crashed near Palm Springs, California, United States, after colliding with a U.S. Army Air Corps Lockheed B-34 bomber; the DC-3 crashed, [...] all 12 on board, while the bomber landed safely with minor damage.
• November 17 – In the Aeroflot Li-2 Krasnoyarsk crash, a Li-2 crashed on the airfield grounds immediately after takeoff, [...] all 30 on board.
• December 14 – A Tupolev ANT-20bis crashed outside Tashkent, Uzbekistan, after a passenger took control and turned off the autopilot, [...] all 36 on board.

1943

• January 21 – Pan Am Flight 1104, a Martin M-130 named the Philippine Clipper, crashed into a mountain near Boonville, California, United States, because of pilot error; all 19 occupants were killed, including Rear Admiral Robert H. English, the serving submarine commander of the US Pacific Fleet.
• February 22 - The Pan Am Boeing 314 flying boat Yankee Clipper crashed in the Tagus river near Lisbon, Portugal, [...] 24 of the 39 people on board.
• June 1 – BOAC Flight 777, a Douglas DC-3 flying from Lisbon in Portugal, to Bristol, England, was shot down by Luftwaffe fighter aircraft over the Bay of Biscay, [...] all 17 people on board, including film actor Leslie Howard.
• July 28 – American Airlines Flight 63, a Douglas DC-3 named the Flagship Ohio, crashed near Trammel, Kentucky, United States, after the crew lost control in severe turbulence and violent downdrafts; 20 of the 22 people on board were killed.
• August 2 – A Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express operated by United Air Lines on a lease agreement from the USAAF, crashed near Whenuapai, New Zealand, [...] 16 of the 30 people on board.
• October 15 – American Airlines Flight 63, a Douglas DC-3 named the Flagship Missouri, crashed near Centerville, Tennessee, United States, because of wing and propeller icing; all eight passengers and three crew members were killed.

1944

• February 10 – American Airlines Flight 2, a Douglas DC-3, crashed into the Mississippi River between Arkansas and Tennessee, United States, for reasons unknown, [...] all 24 occupants (21 passengers and three crew members).
• June 20 – TWA Flight 277, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster, crashed into Fort Mountain, Maine, United States, in severe weather, [...] all seven passengers and crew on board.

1945

• January 8 – The China Clipper, a Pan Am Martin M-130 flying boat operating an airmail service from Miami, Florida, United States, to Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo, crashed at Port of Spain, Trinidad, [...] 23 of the 30 people on board.
• January 10 – American Airlines Flight 6001, a Douglas DC-3-277B, crashed into a hillside on approach to Hollywood Burbank Airport, [...] all 24 on board.
• January 31 – The Tokana, a Stinson operated by Australian National Airways, crashed near Tooborac, about 50 miles (80 km) north of Melbourne, Victoria, as the result of a fatigue crack in a wing spar; all 10 people on board were killed.
• February 23 – American Airlines Flight 009 crashed on Glade Mountain, Virginia, while en route from New York to Washington, then Nashville and then Los Angeles. Out of the 22 occupants, 17 were killed.
• July 12 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 45, a Douglas DC-3A, collided with a Douglas A-26 Invader over Florence, South Carolina, United States; one of the 20 on board the DC-3 and two of the three on board the A-26 died.
• October 5 – National Airlines Flight 16, a Lockheed L-18 Lodestar operating a multi-leg domestic flight in Florida, United States, overshot the runway after landing at the new municipal airport in south Lakeland, [...] two of the 15 people on board.
• November 3 – The Honolulu Clipper, Boeing's 314 prototype, made a forced landing in the Pacific Ocean 650 miles (1,050 km) east of Oahu following double engine failure; all 37 on board survived the incident; the aircraft was deliberately sunk when salvage was deemed impractical.

1946

• January 6 – Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 105, a Douglas DC-3, crashed in Birmingham, Alabama, United States, [...] three of the four crew members; the flight attendant and all 16 passengers survived.
• January 14 – In the Kolpny Li-2 crash, a Lisunov Li-2 entered clouds in severe icing conditions, leading to the left part of the elevator becoming detached from the aircraft, following ice accumulation on the tail. The plane then entered a spin and broke up in mid-air during an attempt at recovery. All 22 occupants were killed.
• March 10 – The 1946 Australian National Airways DC-3 crash near Hobart, Tasmania, killed all 25 on board.
• July 11 – TWA Flight 513, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashed near Reading, Pennsylvania, United States, after a fire in the baggage compartment; of the six crew on board, only one survived.
• August 7 – British European Airways Flight 530, a Douglas C-47, crashed into Mistberget mountain near Eidsvoll, Norway, [...] three of five crew; all 10 passengers survived.
• September 18 – A Sabena Douglas DC-4 crashed near Gander, Canada. 27 of the 44 people on board were killed.
• September 20 – China National Aviation Corporation Flight 81, a Douglas C-47 flying from Xiaomiao to San Hu Pa, crashed near Luoji Shan, China. All 31 people on board were killed.
• October 3 – An American Overseas Airlines Douglas DC-4 crashed into mountainous terrain after takeoff from Stephenville, Newfoundland, [...] all 39 passengers and crew on board.
• November 5 – Vnukovo aircraft crashes:
  • A Lisunov Li-2 with tail number CCCP-Л4181, operating as a cargo-passenger flight, crashed while performing a standard turn at low altitude during holding pattern position, [...] all five occupants.
  • A Douglas C-47B with tail number CCCP-Л946 sharply raised its nose, caused by a sudden throttle-up during go-around. The aircraft rapidly lost forward speed, then stalled and crashed; 13 of the 26 occupants died.
  • A Lisunov Li-2 with tail number CCCP-Л4207 struck light poles during its fifth approach and crashed, because of fuel exhaustion. One of the 26 occupants died.
• November 14 – In the 1946 KLM Douglas DC-3 Amsterdam accident, a Douglas DC-3 crashed while attempting to land at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands; all 26 passengers and crew on board were killed.
• December 19 – In the 1946 Railway Air Services Dakota crash, a Douglas DC-3 crashed shortly after taking off from Northolt Airport, England and came to rest on top of a house. All five occupants survived the crash without injury.
• December 25 – Black Christmas disaster:
  • Central Air Transport Corporation Flight 48, a Douglas C-47, hit the roof of a house and crashed during descent. All 11 occupants and one person on the ground died.
  • China National Aviation Corporation Flight 140, a Douglas DC-3, hit the slope of a hill short of the runway during descent, [...] 19 of the 30 on board.
  • China National Aviation Corporation Flight 115, a Curtiss C-46, crashed short of the runway, [...] 31 of the 36 occupants.
• December 28 – TWA Flight 6963, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashed near Shannon Airport, Ireland, because of an inaccurate altimeter, caused by maintenance errors, [...] nine of 23 on board.
• December 28 – American Airlines Flight 2207, a Douglas C-50, crashed near Michigan City, Indiana, United States, following double engine failure, caused by unexplained fuel starvation; both pilots died, while the remaining crew member and all 18 passengers survived.

1947

• January 5 – China National Aviation Corporation Flight 121, a Curtiss C-46, crashed into Langya Mountain in an attempt to make an emergency landing due to fuel starvation, [...] all 42 on board.
• January 11 – In the 1947 BOAC Douglas C-47 crash, a BOAC Douglas C-47A crashed into Barley Hill near Stowting, Kent, United Kingdom, because of fuel starvation, [...] eight of the 16 on board.
• January 12 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 665, a Douglas C-49, crashed into high ground near Galax, Virginia, after the pilot became disorientated; of the 17 on board, only one survived.
• January 25 – In the 1947 Croydon Dakota accident, a Spencer Airways Douglas C-47A failed to get airborne at Croydon Airport, United Kingdom, and crashed into a parked ČSA aircraft; 12 of the 22 on board were killed.
• January 26 – In the 1947 KLM Douglas DC-3 Copenhagen accident, a Douglas DC-3 crashed shortly after takeoff from Kastrup Airport in Denmark, [...] all 22 passengers and crew.
• February 15 – An Avianca Douglas DC-4 crashed into Mount El Tabalazo in Colombia because of pilot error, [...] all 53 passengers and crew.
• April 22 – In the 1947 Columbus mid-air collision, a Delta Air Lines Douglas DC-3 collided with a Tuskegee Aviation Institute Vultee BT-13, [...] all nine people on board both aircraft.
• April 28 – Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 3, a Lockheed Model 18 Lodestar flying from Toronto to Vancouver with a stopover in Lethbridge, crashed into mount Elsay. All 15 people on board were killed.
• May 29 – In the 1947 Héðinsfjörður air crash, a Flugfélag Islands Douglas DC-3 crashed into Hestfjall on the west side of Héðinsfjörður fjord, [...] all 25 on board in Iceland's deadliest air disaster.
• May 29 – United Air Lines Flight 521, a Douglas DC-4, crashed on takeoff from LaGuardia Airport, New York, United States, because of pilot error; 42 of the 48 on board died.
• May 30 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 605, a Douglas DC-4, lost control and crashed near Bainbridge, Maryland, United States, [...] all 53 passengers and crew on board in the deadliest airliner crash in US history at the time.
• June 13 – Pennsylvania Central Airlines Flight 410, a Douglas DC-4, crashed into Lookout Rock, in the West Virginia Blue Ridge Mountains of the United States, en route from Pittsburgh to Washington, D.C.; all 50 passengers and crew were killed.
• June 19 – Pan Am Flight 121, a Lockheed L-049 Constellation, crashed in the Syrian desert, en route from Karachi to Istanbul, [...] 14 of the 36 on board.
• August 2 – In the 1947 BSAA Star Dust accident, an Avro Lancastrian airliner disappeared over the Andes after transmitting an enigmatic coded message ("STENDEC"); the fate of the aircraft remained a mystery for more than 50 years until the crash site was finally located in 2000; it was apparent that all 11 people on board had died in the accident.
• August 28 – In the Kvitbjørn disaster, a Norwegian Air Lines Short Sandringham flying boat struck a mountain near Lødingsfjellet, Norway, [...] all 35 on board.
• October 24 – United Air Lines Flight 608, a Douglas DC-6, crashed near Bryce Canyon Airport, Utah, United States, when a fire caused by a design flaw destroyed the aircraft; all 52 on board died in the first hull loss of the DC-6.
• October 26 – Pan Am Flight 923, a Douglas DC-4, crashed into Tamgas Mountain on Annette Island, Alaska, for reasons unknown, [...] all 18 passengers and crew.
• December 27 – In the 1947 Korangi Creek crash, an Air India Douglas C-48 crashed shortly after takeoff, [...] all 23 on board.

1948

• January 28 – In the 1948 Los Gatos DC-3 crash, an Airline Transport Carriers Douglas DC-3 crashed in the Diablo Range, California, after an engine fire; all 32 passengers and crew were killed.
• January 30 – In the BSAA Star Tiger disappearance, an Avro Tudor IV disappeared without trace en route from the Azores to Bermuda with 31 on board; the loss of the aircraft remains an unsolved mystery, with the resulting speculation contributing to the Bermuda Triangle legend.
• March 2 – In the 1948 Heathrow disaster, a Sabena DC-3 crashed at Heathrow Airport, London, in poor visibility. The crash, caused by pilot error, killed 20 of 22 on board.
• March 10 – Delta Air Lines Flight 705, a Douglas DC-4, crashed on takeoff from Chicago Municipal Airport. Of the 13 passengers and crew, 12 were killed.
• March 12 – Northwest Airlines Flight 4422, a Douglas C-54 Skymaster, crashed into Mount Sanford in the Alaska Territory (now Alaska), [...] all 30 on board; although found, the wreckage was initially inaccessible and was not rediscovered until 1999 after being buried for more than 50 years.
• April 5 – In the 1948 Gatow air disaster, a British European Airways Vickers VC.1 Viking crashed near RAF Gatow, Berlin, following a collision with a Soviet Air Force Yakovlev Yak-3 fighter; all 14 people on board the Viking were killed, as well as the Soviet pilot.
• April 15 – Pan Am Flight 1-10, a Lockheed Constellation, crashed while on approach to Shannon Airport, Ireland; of the 31 people on board, only one survived.
• April 21 – British European Airways Flight S200P, a Vickers VC.1 Viking, crashed into Irish Law Mountain in Scotland because of pilot error; all on board survived.
• April 24 – In the 1948 Bodaybo Li-2 crash, a Lisunov Li-2T encountered snow charges and turbulence, causing deformation of the fuselage and wing. Another snow charge caused the aircraft to roll to the left and plunge into an icy river near Mamakan, Russia. Of the 29 occupants, only one passenger survived.
• May 12 – In the 1948 Sabena Douglas DC-4 crash, a Douglas DC-4 crashed near Libenge, Belgian Congo (now Democratic Republic of the Congo), after flying into a tornado, [...] 31 of 32 on board.
• June 17 – United Air Lines Flight 624, a Douglas DC-6, crashed near Mount Carmel, Pennsylvania, after failed attempts to extinguish what was believed to have been an onboard fire; all 39 passengers and four crew were killed.
• July 1 – An Avio Linee Italiane Fiat G.212, flying from Milan to Brussels, crashed near Keerbergen during an emergency landing; eight of the 12 people on board were killed.
• July 4 – The 1948 Northwood mid-air collision, between a Scandinavian Airlines System-operated Douglas DC-6 and an RAF Avro York, killed all 39 passengers and crew on board both aircraft.
• July 17 – Miss Macao, a Catalina seaplane en route from Macau to Hong Kong in southern China, was hijacked over the Pearl River delta by a group attempting to rob the passengers; following a struggle in the cockpit, a crash killed all but one of the 26 people on board (the sole survivor was later identified as the lead hijacker); this is the earliest known airliner hijacking.
• August 1 – Air France Flight 072, a Latécoère 631, disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean with the loss of all 52 people on board. This was the worst aviation accident in the Atlantic Ocean at the time and remains the worst ever involving the Latécoère 631.
• August 29 – Northwest Airlines Flight 421, a Martin 2–0–2, crashed near Winona, Minnesota, because of structural failure of a wing, [...] all 37 on board in the worst ever accident involving the Martin 2–0–2. This crash was also the first loss of a 2–0–2.
• August 31 –A Sabena Douglas C-47 went out of control during its approach to the airport and crashed during an the emergency landing. All 13 on board died.
• September 2 – Australian National Airways Flight 331, a Douglas DC-3, crashed into high terrain near Nundle, New South Wales, [...] all 13 people on board.
• October 2 – In the Bukken Bruse disaster, a Norwegian Air Lines Short Sandringham flying boat crashed upon landing in Trondheim, Norway, [...] 19 of the 43 people on board; Bertrand Russell was among the 24 survivors.
• October 12 – An Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-12 disappeared over the Caucasus Mountains, near Yevlakh, Azerbaijan, with ten on board.
• October 20 – In the 1948 KLM Constellation air disaster, a Lockheed Constellation named Nijmegen, flying from Schiphol Airport, Netherlands, to New York City, United States, crashed near Prestwick, Scotland, [...] all 40 on board.
• December 28 – In the 1948 Airborne Transport DC-3 (DST) disappearance, a Douglas DC-3 flying from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami, Florida, disappeared without trace off the coast of Florida with 32 on board.

1949

• January 17 – In the BSAA Star Ariel disappearance, an Avro Tudor IV disappeared without trace en route from Bermuda to Jamaica with 20 on board; the loss of the aircraft remains an unsolved mystery to this day, with the resulting speculation contributing to the Bermuda Triangle legend.
• January 30 – Pan Am Flight 100, a Lockheed L-749 Constellation, collided in mid-air with a private Cessna 140 over Port Washington, New York. The Cessna crashed, [...] the pilot and the sole passenger; the Constellation sustained substantial damage but landed without casualties.
• February 19 – A British European Airways Douglas Dakota collided with an RAF Avro Anson over Exhall, Warwickshire, [...] all 14 on board both aircraft.
• March 10 – A Queensland Airlines Lockheed Lodestar crashed on takeoff from Coolangatta airstrip, [...] all 21 on board.
• May 4 – In the Superga air disaster, an Italian Airlines Fiat G.212 CP carrying the Torino football team crashed into the Superga hills near Turin, [...] all 31 on board.
• May 13 – Aeroflot Flight 17, an Ilyushin Il-12, was likely struck by lightning, then encountered hail. The aircraft lost altitude and crashed into an embankment, [...] all 25 occupants.
• June 7 – In the 1949 Strato-Freight Curtiss C-46A crash, a Curtiss Wright C-46A-50 Modified D crashed into the Atlantic Ocean shortly after takeoff from San Juan, Puerto Rico. Of the 81 passengers and crew, 53 were killed.
• July 2 – A MacRobertson Miller Airlines Douglas DC-3 crashed on takeoff from Perth, Western Australia, [...] all 18 on board.
• July 12 - A KLM Lockheed L-749 Constellation crashed into a hill near Bombay during an approach in severe weather, [...] all 45 occupants.
• July 12 – Standard Air Lines Flight 897R, a Curtiss C-46, crashed at Chatsworth, California, because of pilot error, [...] 35 of 48 on board.
• August 19 – A British European Airways Douglas DC-3 crashed into a hillside near Oldham, United Kingdom; of the 32 on board, only eight survived.
• September 9 – Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 108, a Douglas DC-3, exploded over Cap Tourmente near Sault-au-Cochon, Quebec. The cause was a bomb planted by Albert Guay; all 19 passengers and four crew members were killed.
• September 26 – A Mexicana de Aviacion DC-3 crashed into Popocatepetl volcano, [...] all 23 on board.
• October 28 – Air France Flight 009, a Lockheed Constellation, crashed into a mountain on São Miguel Island, Azores, Portugal, [...] all 48 people on board, including boxer Marcel Cerdan and violinist Ginette Neveu.
• November 1 – Eastern Air Lines Flight 537, a Douglas DC-4, collided with a Lockheed P-38 on approach to Washington National Airport; all 55 people on board the DC-4 died, including Congressman George J. Bates, New Yorker cartoonist Helen E. Hokinson, and former Congressman Michael J. Kennedy; the pilot and sole occupant of the P-38 was seriously injured.
• November 20 – In the Hurum air disaster, an Aero Holland Douglas DC-3 crashed near Hurum, Norway, [...] 34 of the 35 on board, including 25 children.
• November 29 – American Airlines Flight 157, a Douglas DC-6 en route from New York City to Mexico City with 46 passengers and crew, veered off the runway and struck buildings after the flight crew lost control on final approach to Dallas Love Field; 26 passengers and two flight attendants died.
• December 7 – An Arrow Air Douglas DC-3 crashed near Benicia, California, [...] all nine people on board.
• December 18 – A Sabena Douglas DC-3 crashed after suffering a structural failure of a wing, [...] all eight on board.

See also

• List of deadliest aircraft accidents and incidents
• List of accidents and incidents involving commercial aircraft before 1940 - Wikipedia

External Links

• Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives
• The Aviation Herald
• Aviation Safety Network
• Jet Airliner Crash Data Evaluation Centre
• AirDisaster.com Accident Database