Civil Air Transport Flight 106
1964 aviation accident From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1964 aviation accident From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Civil Air Transport Flight 106 was a Curtiss C-46D Commando, registration number B-908 (C/N 32950),[1] that was operated by Civil Air Transport, which was a front company operated by the CIA.[2] On 20 June 1964, the aircraft crashed near the village of Shenkang, western Taiwan, killing all 57 people aboard.
![]() B-908, the aircraft involved in the accident, at Haneda Airport | |
Accident | |
---|---|
Date | 20 June 1964 |
Summary | Engine failure and loss of control (Disputed) |
Site | Shenkang, Taiwan |
Aircraft | |
Aircraft type | Curtiss C-46D Commando |
Operator | Civil Air Transport |
Registration | B-908 |
Flight origin | Taichung Airport (TXG/RCLG) |
Destination | Taipei-Sung Shan Airport (TSA/RCSS) |
Occupants | 57 |
Passengers | 52 |
Crew | 5 |
Fatalities | 57 |
Survivors | 0 |
Shortly after take-off from Taichung, the number one engine oversped. The pilot began a left turn to perform an emergency landing at the airport or a nearby military air base. But while turning, the pilot lost control and the aircraft crashed in a left wing low and a steep nose down attitude.
The flight was being operated by a C-46D, which had accumulated 19,488 operational hours from 1944 to 1964.
The Taiwanese CAA concluded that the primary cause of the accident was the failure of the #1 engine, compounded by pilot error during attempts at recovery while returning to Taichung Airport (later renamed Shuinan Airport and now closed) or Taichung Air Base.[3] [4]
However, this conclusion was disputed by Civil Air Transport, who seems to favour instead a theory of hijacking by a passenger.[5][6]
Among the dead were 20 Americans, one Briton, and members of the Malaysian delegation to the 11th Film Festival in Asia, including businessman Loke Wan Tho and his wife Mavis.[7][3]
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