Tachikawa – Osaka – Fukuoka

On December 10, 1946 at 01:10 PM, Tachikawa – Osaka – Fukuoka experienced a crash involving Curtiss C-46 Commando, operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF, with the event recorded near Osaka-Itami Kansai.

The flight was categorized as postal (mail) and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a airport (less than 10 km from airport) crash site.

24 people were known to be on board, 24 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 5, crew fatalities: 5, passengers on board: 19, passenger fatalities: 19, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is technical failure. Shortly after takeoff from runway 32, while in initial climb, the aircraft banked left and right, then nosed down and crashed in a paddy field. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 24 occupants, among them 3 civilians, were killed. The crew was completing a mail flight from Tachikawa AFB to Fukuoka with an intermediate stop in Osaka-Itami Airport. Weather conditions at the time of the accident were considered as marginal and it is believed that the left engine was not running at impact for reason that could not be determined with certainty.

Aircraft reference details include registration 44-78604, MSN 22427, year of manufacture 1945.