Seoul – Tachikawa
Flight / Schedule
Seoul – Tachikawa
Aircraft
Douglas C-54 SkymasterRegistration
42-72553
MSN
10658
Year of Manufacture
1945
Date
May 29, 1947 at 10:45 PM
Type
CRASHFlight Type
Military
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Crash Location
Atsugi NAS Kanto
Region
Asia • Japan
Crash Cause
Human factor
Narrative Report
On May 29, 1947 at 10:45 PM, Seoul – Tachikawa experienced a crash involving Douglas C-54 Skymaster, operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF, with the event recorded near Atsugi NAS Kanto.
The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was landing (descent or approach) at a mountains crash site.
41 people were known to be on board, 41 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.
Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 8, passengers on board: 33, passenger fatalities: 33, other fatalities: 0.
The listed crash cause is human factor. The aircraft was performing a flight from Seoul-Kimpo to Tachikawa AFB with several US officers and five civilians on board. While approaching the Tokyo area by night and from the southwest, the crew completed a turn at an altitude of 1,500 meters in marginal weather conditions when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located west of the city of Atsugi, about 30 km southwest of Tachikawa AFB. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and burned completely. All 41 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was 10 km with cumulus and altostratus between 1,000 and 2,500 meters.
Aircraft reference details include registration 42-72553, MSN 10658, year of manufacture 1945.
Fatalities
Total
41
Crew
8
Passengers
33
Other
0
Crash Summary
The aircraft was performing a flight from Seoul-Kimpo to Tachikawa AFB with several US officers and five civilians on board. While approaching the Tokyo area by night and from the southwest, the crew completed a turn at an altitude of 1,500 meters in marginal weather conditions when the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located west of the city of Atsugi, about 30 km southwest of Tachikawa AFB. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and burned completely. All 41 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was 10 km with cumulus and altostratus between 1,000 and 2,500 meters.
Cause: Human factor
Occupants & Outcome
Crew On Board
8
Passengers On Board
33
Estimated Survivors
0
Fatality Rate
100.0%
Known people on board: 41
Operational Details
Schedule / Flight
Seoul – Tachikawa
Flight Type
Military
Flight Phase
Landing (descent or approach)
Crash Site
Mountains
Region / Country
Asia • Japan
Aircraft Details
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