AIRCRAFT ACCIDENT REPORT CURTISS C-46 DM, B-908 ACCIDENT AT FUNG-YUAN, 20 JUNE 1964

• Document Type: FOIA
• Collection: FOIA Collection
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 02145415
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 6
• Document Creation Date: March 9, 2023
• Document Release Date: August 21, 2020
• Case Number: F-2015-00256
• Publication Date: July 2, 1964

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OFFICE OF VICE PRESIDENT/SECRETARY-LEGAL COUNSEL
TRANSLATION No. C-2+08
Confideptipl
Petition No. C-53-15882
Date: July 2, 1964
To Civil Aeronautics Administration RE_C'D WAS JUL 7 1964
From Civil Air Transport Company Limited
&Med : Airc.ft Accident Reoort Ctrtiss C-46 DM, B-908 Accident
LI_ATIK-Ytan, 20 June 1964
Further to our Petition 0-53-15805 dated June: 2+, 1964, we
herewith report the result of the accident investigation up to
Jtne 19641
SYNOPSIS
Civil Air Transoort Flight CT-106, a Curtiss C-46 DM, Republic
of China Registration B-908, departed the blocks at 0932Z (1732
-hours local) 20 June 1964 from Sui Nan (Taichung) Airport on
a scheduled flight to Taipei. At 0935Z (1735 hours local) the
aircraft made a normal take-off from North to South on runway 18.
After becoming airborne the aircraft made a left climbing turn
to the North and proceeded northbound slightly east of course on
instructions from the tower. These instructions were necessitated
in order to keep aircraft departing Sui Nan clear of the traffic
pattern at neighboring Kung-Kuan Airport. The aircraft had,
some minutes before development of the events leading to the
crash, successfully negotiated the relatively more critical
phases of take-off and was proceeding on course in climb con-
figuration with all indications aboard reported satisfactory by
radio from the aircraft. The ccident is not regarded as a utake-
offu accident. At approximately 0940 (1740 hours local) a coluMn
of smoke was spotted in the vicinity of Fung-Yuan� which subse-
quently proved to be the site of the crash of B-908.
At the present time there is no determination as to the cause of
the crash. The remains of the aircraft and its components have
been removed from the site aad have been shipped to Air Asia
Company Limited Maintenance Base at Tainan Airfield, Tainan, Taiwan
for study aadeevaluation \;..n directed by the appropriate
authorities.
Distribution: , Remarks: Processed per 14).BD-64-309
AACL: NGI'XI/( Via Pre dent) with approval of President.
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Office of Vice Presidentl Secretary-Legal Counsel
July 2, 1964
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InESTIGATION
Civil Air Transport Flight CT-106, (B-908) was a scheduled passenger
flight from Kaohsiung to Taipei, Taiwan with enroute stops at Makung,
Tainan aid Taichung. The flight operated through Makung and Tainan on
schedule, arriving Taichung at 0922Z (1722 hours local) and blocking in
at 09242 (1724 hours local). After landing at Taichung several passenger
disembarked and sixteen (16) passengers embarked. The total load for
the trip from Taichung to T. ipei then consisted of 52 passengers and
5 crew members and 894 pounds of baggage and cargo. The gross weight
of the aircraft for take-off was thus 45,994 pounds or slightly more
than 2,000 pounds below the maximum allowable take-off weight of 48,000
pounds. The aircraft blocked out of Taichung at 0932Z and took off at
0935Z. The crew consisted of the Captain, First Officer, First and
Second Stewardesses and a Flight Steward. The flight had been routine
up to the point of last contact and was conducted under Visual Flight
Rules (VFR). The pilot after departure northbound from Taichung to
Taipei left the traffic pattern and called Sui Nan Tower at Taichung
on VHF Channel "B": "CAT 908 leaving the channel (VHF) see you
tomorrow."
As recorded by the tower operator at Sui Nan (Taichung) Airport, B-908
blocked in at Sul Nan at 0924Z (1724 hours local). The co-pilotthen
filed a Flight Plan with Base Operations, Sui Nan, requesting clearance
to fly Airways from Taichung to Taipei. Permission was granted by Air
Traffic Control and. the aircraft started to taxi from the passenger
loading area at 0932Z (1732 hours local). Inasmuch as a light south- ,
west wind Was blowing at the time, Runway 18 (180� is the Azimuth
heading of the runway) was used. The weather was reported at 0945Z
(1745 hours local) to be scattered clouds at 2,000 feet, high scattered
clouds at 28,000 feet, visibility 10 miles, surface wind 10 knots from
180 degrees. The aircraft was taxiied to the end of the runway. At
this point it is asSumed that the standard normal "Preflight" checks,
i.e. engine operation and control checks, were performed. The air-
craft took-off to the South at 0935Z (1735 hours local). The Tower
Radio Telephone Operator and witnesses who were playing soft-ball one
and one half miles south of the airport watched the aircraft depart and
all state the departure appeared quite normal. The aircraft made a left
turn after take-off to a northerly heading. A standard rate turn and
a normal rate-of-climb would have positioned the aircraft after com-
pletion of the turn to the northerly heading at an altitude of.appro-
ximately 1000 feet. At about this time, one of the pilots called Sui
Nan Tower by radio and advised they were clibbing on course and would
see them tomorrow. According to the Sui. Nan Operator, he watched
B-908 for a moment and then it is presumed that he :turned his atten-
tion to other activities, since the Tower ceases operations in the
evening at 1800 hours local. The Tower Operator estimated that he
observed B-908 from the time of take-off for approximately two and one
half minutes. Approximately three minutes later one of the men assigned
to the Fire Brigade at Sui Nan Airport telephoned the Tower Operator
and advised him that he could see black smoke about four and one half
miles northeast of Sui Nan Airport and inquired if the Tower Operator
could ascertain if B-908 was in trouble. Sui Nan Tower Operator was
unable to see or contact B-908. Sui Nan Tower then contacted Kung-
Kuan Tower and asked them to attempt radio and visual contact with
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B-908. The Kung-Kuan Tower Operator reported to aui Nan that no
radio CT Visual contact could be nade, but that he could see smoke
in the direction reported. Subsequently a Chinese Air Force
Helicopter reported the smoke was verified as coming from the
crash of B-908 and that all aboard were dead. Various witnesses
have fairly accurately established that the crash occurred at
approximately 0940Z (1740 hours local).
An accident investigating team was immediately organized in coopera-
tion with Civil Aeronautics Administration Officials and was dis-
patched to the scene. At the crash site it appeared that the aircraft
was intact when it made contact with the ground. The aircraft
wreckage was strewn along a measured Azimuth of 283 degrees (appro-
ximately from east to west). All evidence indicates that the aircraft
struck the ground right side up with the left wing lowered and the
nose in a.descending slope of approximately thirty (30) degrees
while on a heading of a little north of west. The place of impact
is farm land consisting of rice paddies at varying levels and
separated by dikes and ditches with trees growing in or on the edges
�of the ditches. The aircraft struck the ground and an adjacent rock
pile just in front of a deep ditch which was about five meters deep
and sheared off trees bordering the ditch. The nose of the aircraft
hit the opposite bank of the ditch, which is higher than the near
bank on the approach side, and the entire aircraft then bounced in
the air, crossing the ditch and shearing another row of threes as it
continued forward and ripped apart. The impact was severe. Debris
was scattered along a path about 500 feet in length, but several
passengers were catapulted further forward and in an extreme case
three bodies were found approximately. 1,300 feet beyond the impact
point. It is believed that all passengers and Crew could not have
survived the impact. Seats were ripped from their mountings. As
the aircraft broke apart the fuel tanks contained in the wings also
broke and fuel was scattered over some of the wreckage and burned
until all fuel was consumed. Engine oil tanks also broke open and
the oil burned. There was no evidence of fire in flight. This
is supported by the fact that both the left and right firewall
liquid shut-off valves had not been activated "closed" and were
found "open". Two Lromo-chlore-mathane (CB) type fire extinguishing
agent spheres were found, neither of which had been activated. One
was found with its pressurized charge intact. The other had had the
outlet fitting broken off by the crash impact and had discharged
into the water of the small creek in the impact area. Both wings
were torn off by the crash impact and neither showed evidence of
fire in flight. The engine nacelle areas and the baggage com-
partment areas also revealed no evidence of fire in flight. All
major components were located in the impact area including two
engines and all eight of the propeller blades. The manifold presure
gauge found in the wreckage indicated a setting of thirty-three (33)
inches of Hg0 for both engines. This approximates a setting for
cruise power at 3500 feet. All three cockpit trim tab controls
found in the wreckage, one each for the ailerons, rudder and
elevator, were set, at essentially "zero" or normal position.
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Evaluation of these findings along with those made after technical
investigation of the aircraft wreckage when authorized by the
Government authorities will be made. In addition to aircraft
wreckage found at the crash site, two pieces of evidence were found
which may have a bearing in determining the cause of the accident.
They consisted of two large U.S. Navy radar technical manuals
apparently from a Republic of China armed forces source of a size
approximately 8i inches wide by 11 inches long and 2 inches deep.
The pages inside both manuals had been hollowed out with a cutting
instrument in the shape of a Forty-five (45) caliber automatic
pistol. Reports are that both pistols have been found at the
accident scene. One observer on hand at the discovery of ehe
of the weapons stated that it was found underneath the left engine
in the area of the cockpit wreckage. Investigation is continuing in
order to substantiate any eossible connection between these items
and' .the cause of the crash.
ANALYSIS AND CONCLUSIONS
No determinations can be made conc:,rning the possible cause or causes
and contributing factors until such time as all of the relevant
technical data and other evidence haw been secured, studied and
evaluated. All wreckage of the aircraft has been removed to Air
Asia Company; Limited. Maintenance Base in Tainan for further
study and evaluation Wnen authorized by Government agencies in
charge,
BaPLETe?,NTAL DATA
THE A.IRCRAT22
The aircraft is a Curtiss :,right C-46 MD, Republic of China Registry
B-908, owned at-2d operated by Civil Air Transport Company Limited.
The manufacture/is) Serial :Number is 32950. The engines are Pratt and
Whitney, Nbdel R-2800-75M31 with four bladed? constant speed, full
feathering, Curtiss Electric Propellors. This aircraft was.manufac-
tured in 1944. however, it must be pointed out that age has almost
no effect on aircraft airworthiness because under a proper maintenance
system the parts which wear or deteriorate are periodically replaced.
Numerous improvements and modernizing modifications resulting from
accumulated operating experience of the collective operators of
this type of aircraft around the world and from aviation authority
directives render it quite superior to its new state in 'fact. It is
further pointed out that the aircraft had been maintained in ac-
cordance with a CAA-approved system of maintenance. Maintenance
has been performed, under contract, by Air Asia Company Limited
in Tainan and Taipei.
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MAINTENANCE, OF THE AIRCRAFT
The airframe had a total of 19,488 hours and 37 minutes at the
time of the accident.
The left engine (Serial -# FP 086389) had a-total of 228 hours 10
minutes since overhaul and certification on 6 February 1963 by
Air Power Overhaul Inc. San Leandro, Califonia, USFAA approved
repair station number 4065.
The right engine (Serial # FP 087304) had a total of 310 hours 40
minutes since overhaul and certification on 4 February 1963 by Air
Power Overhaul Inc. San Leandro,, California, USFAA approved repair
'station number 4065.
Daily post flight & pre-flight inspections and services are ac-
complished in accordance with established procedures. The aircraft
had flown 63 hours since the last Number One service was performed
on. 7 June 1964. It had flown 137 hours since the last Number Two
. service was performed on 22 May 1964. The next service, a Number
Three.? was due at airframe time 19,503 hours, or after 15 more hours
of flight time.
The last discrepancies noted by the pilot on the aircraft log were
on 16 June 1964. . They were: a -1- psi left engine fuel pressure
fluctuation .and higher than normal but below maximum fuel pressure
readings while in straight and level flight. These discrepancies
were Corrected prior tO flight and a total of 35 flights flown by
three.different-Captains were accomplished prior to the accident
with no further discrepancies noted in the aircraft logo
CREW .
Captiin Bengee Lin, age 38, Republic. of China Citizen, held a valid
Airline Transport Pilot Licence. No. 10200 issued by the Civil � -
Aeronautics Administration with valid MEL DC-4, C-46 and instrument
ratings.. Capt. Lin had a total of 10,133 flying hours of which
4,914 were in the C-46 type of aircraft. Medical records dating
back to July 1, 1961 indicate that all required periodic flight
physicals as described in CAR 19 were normal. The last flight
physical was taken on 27 February 1964. The last Route Flight
-Check was taken 31 May 1964 and was rated satisfactory by System
Chief Pilot, Captain E. F. Sims.
First Officer M. H. hung, age 48, Republic of.China Citizen held a
valid Senior Commircial Pilot Licence No. 20018, issued by the
Civil Aeronautics Administration with Valid MEL, C-47, C-46, DC-4,
MES PLY.-5A riltings.. He had a total of 12,104 flying hours of which
9,270 were in the C-46 type of aircraft. .Medical records dating back
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to June 1, 1961 indicate that all required periodic flight
physicals as described in CAB 19 were normal. The last required
CAA flight physical was taken January 4, 1964. The last First
Officer proficiency check was given by Capt. M. D. Johnson,
Assistant System Chief Pilot on 19 October 1963 and was rated
good.
Civil Air Transport Company Limited
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