C-82 ACCIDENTS

The following list is in order of date and is based on airframes which have been totally written-off or destroyed in accidents as opposed to incidents or mishaps in which the aircraft was able to be repaired and returned to service. Some accidents have missing details but hopefully someday these will be filled. The current accident list contains 24 military (USAF) accidents and 16 civilian ones including both US and Latin American operators. There were over 100 accidents and mishaps recorded by the USAF for the C-82 from 1946 to 1954. I've heard many rumours and stories of weak C-82 booms breaking etc. but have yet to come across any photos or tangible evidence to support this.
Date: 18 July, 1946	Location: Offutt Field, Nebraska, USA
s/n / msn: 44-22964 / 10008	Operator: USAAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 11 May, 1947	Location: near Austin, Texas, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23028 / 10072	Operator: USAAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 14 August, 1947	Location: New Germany, Ohio, USA
s/n / msn: 44-22960 / 10004	Operator: USAAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 9 December, 1947	Location: Elgin, Texas, USA
s/n / msn: 44-22994 / 10038	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 17 October, 1948	Location: Clinton, Louisiana, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57797 / 10167	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 4
The C-82 was part of a seven plane convoy when it was forced to make a crash landing seven miles N.E. of Clinton, Louisiana, while travelling from Biggs Field, Texas to Elgin Field, Florida. Trouble began when an engine was lost and it was then decided to make an emergency landing rather than parachute crew and passengers to safety. The pilot brought the aircraft down in a clearing avoiding scattered trees but ploughed through a farm fence. It slid to a stop right side up and no fire started, a portion of the fuselage was caved in which caused the deaths of four occupants and severely injured a fifth. The 30 survivors of the original 34 souls on board (4 crew, 29 artillery officers and 1 enlisted man), were later sent onto Elgin Field from Harding Field, Baton Rouge. The C-82 was presumably cut up on site for scrap.
Date: 16 December, 1948	Location: Greenville AFB, South Carolina, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23042 / 10086	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 23 December, 1948	Location: Fort Nelson, British Columbia, Canada
s/n / msn: 45-57779 / 10149	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 14 January, 1949	Location: Harnet, North Carolina, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23010 / 10054	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 20 May, 1949	Location: Isachsen Weather Station, Ellef Ringnes Island, NWT, Canada
s/n / msn: 48-572 / 10207	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 0
During a take-off run, the aircraft slid on an icy runway damaging the undercarriage and airframe beyond repair. Luckily there were no deaths and the C-82 fuselage was salvaged and used at the weather station as a store house. Parts of the wings and booms are still there today.
C-82A s/n: 48-572, the crew having had a lucky escape. Photo: USAF official via Aad van der Voet.
Date: 14 July, 1949	Location: Wright Field, Ohio, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23014 / 10058	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 29 September, 1949	Location: near McCleary, Washington State, USA
s/n / msn: 48-582 / 10217	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 3
Navigational error during a training flight.
Date: 01 February, 1950	Location: Selfridge, Michigan, USA
s/n / msn: 44-22986 / 10030	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 21 March, 1950	Location: Smyrna AFB, Tennessee, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57752 / 10122	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 21 July, 1950	Location: Kenai AP, Alaska, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57831 / 10201	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 31 July, 1950	Location: Tallahassee, Florida, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23021 / 10065	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 11 November, 1950	Location: Pickens, South Carolina, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57739 / 10109	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 17 November, 1950	Location: Greenville AFB, South Carolina, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23024 / 10068	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 0
C-82 s/n: 44-23024 was damaged beyond repair when the brakes failed during a high-speed taxi run. The aircraft came to rest in a ditch, there were no crew injuries.
Date: 22 November, 1950	Location: Neubiberg, West Germany
s/n / msn: 45-57743 / 10113	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 20 January, 1951	Location: Damascus, Syria
s/n / msn: 45-57781 / 10151	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 3 June, 1951	Location: New Boston, Texas, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57761 / 10131	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 10
No details at present.
Date: 16 August, 1951	Location: Rhein-Main AFB, West Germany
s/n / msn: 45-57796 / 10166	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 13 November, 1951	Location: Mt. Dore, Clermont-Ferrand, France
s/n / msn: 45-57801 / 10171	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: 36
The worst C-82 accident ever in terms of lives lost - all 6 crew members and 30 military personnel. The aircraft was with the 11th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 60th TCG transporting US Army postal workers to set up a military post office at Bordeaux, France. "801" collided with Mt. Dore in the Clermont-Ferrand region while flying in bad weather. All onboard were killed instantly due to impact shock trauma - deceleration was from 150mph in about 30 feet, the G-force equivalent of about 25Gs. The aircraft burned on the ground afterward in a crumpled heap, the tails the only recognisable remains from site photos. The accident report concluded pilot error as the cause, the pilot received weather and winds for 8,000 feet but flew the flight at 6,000 feet and then failed to account for wind drift during the flight which put them off track. Altimeter settings and several other flight procedures were also found to be in error which attributed to the accident. Several rumours and "ghost stories" surround this accident which still seem to persist up to this day. One was the pilot survived the crash only to die several meters from the crash attempting to go for help - fact is several crew members were thrown clear of the wreckage during impact creating the impression they had survived and crawled away. Another rumour is the aircraft was found whole and intact with crew and passengers seated in their seats "like they were asleep" - truth is the aircraft was totally crushed and had burned after the crash along with everything onboard.
A rare image of ill-fated C-82A s/n: 45-57801, note the rippled anti-corrosive paint along the lower fuselage. Photo: Stockard Witherspoon via Chuck Lunsford.
Date: 28 January, 1952	Location: Rhein-Main AFB, West Germany
s/n / msn: 45-57791 / 10161	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 16 January, 1953	Location: Chaumont, France
s/n / msn: 45-57772 / 10142	Operator: USAF	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 8 August, 1956	Location: Boca Raton, Florida, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23026 / 10070	Operator: United Heckathorn Corp. / N4832V	Fatalities: 5
On August 8, 1956 C-82A N4832V and sister ship N4829V departed Masters Field, Miami, Florida at 0448hrs. local time for a trip to nearby Boca Raton Airport for the purpose of delivering equipment for an aerial spraying operation. The spraying was to eradicate an infestation of Mediterranean fruit fly in the state of Florida. Both aircraft arrived over Boca Raton just after 0500hrs. local time when the crew of N4829V noted puffs of smoke coming from the No. 1 engine on N4832V. As the C-82A continued into its final approach to land the smoke intensified and then the aircraft was observed to enter a go-round and climb away into a left-hand turn. The turning manoeuvrer continued until N4832V stalled and entered an "over-the- top" spin and crashed into the ground bursting into flames. Later examination of the port engine revealed the failure of the rear master rod bearing which caused a loss of power on the engine. It appears this failure was progressive and complete failure only occurred in the last few minutes of the flight. The go-around was started due to poor runway alignment (maybe because of the pilot's distraction with the engine?), it was then the crew became aware of the loss of power on the No. 1 when they applied full throttle. The loss of power, low airspeed and drag from the un-feathered propeller caused a loss of directional control resulting in a stall and spin into the ground. This is the worst US-based civilian C-82 crash, the five killed were: Charles Day (34, pilot), Rae Howry (31, co-pilot), Allen Johnson (18), Warren Rogers (23) and John Tichenor (44).
N4832V with Skyspray logos as used by United Heckathorn Corp. Photo: William T. Larkins.
Date: 30 October, 1957	Location: near Campeche, Mexico
s/n / msn: unknown	Operator: Transportes Aereos Mexicanos SA (TAMSA) / XA-LIW	Fatalities: 3
Crashed during the climb-out phase of the flight.
Date: 11 January, 1958	Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
s/n / msn: 45-57745 / 10115	Operator: Cruzeiro do Sul / PP-CEH	Fatalities: 0
Crashed in Guanabara Bay during a training flight.
Date: 16 January, 1958	Location: near Belem, Brazil
s/n / msn: 45-57830 / 10200	Operator: Cruzeiro do Sul / PP-CEF	Fatalities: 3
Number one engine caught fire.
Date: unknown	Location: Trujillo, Honduras
s/n / msn: 44-23004 / 10048	Operator: Servicio Aereo de Honduras SA / XH-139	Fatalities: unknown
Crashed on take-off fully loaded with a stack of plywood timber at the time. Its unclear whether anyone was killed or not?
Salvage operation underway for XH-139. Photo: via Paul J. Holsen II.
Date: 26 January, 1960	Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
s/n / msn: 45-57810 / 10180	Operator: Cruzeiro do Sul / PP-CEM	Fatalities: unknown
No details at present.
Date: 24 August, 1960	Location: El Palmar, Bolivia
s/n / msn: unknown	Operator: Direccion de Aeronautica Civil (DAC) / CP-665	Fatalities: unknown
Very sketchy details of this accident exist only, no serial number is known but it appears the C-82 was destined for La Paz coming in from Brazil at the time of the crash, the reasons for which are unknown. The crash site is thought to be the Tamoani River near El Palmar airstrip. It would be safe to assume that at least two or three crew members would have been killed. Ironically, the C-82 was on it's ferry flight for delivery to Bolivia's official agency for promoting air transport.
Date: 26 November, 1960	Location: Santa Cruz, Bolivia
s/n / msn: 45-57758 / 10128	Operator: Aerovias Condor Ltda. / CP-678	Fatalities: 7
Only circumstantial evidence as to a cause but it sounds more like an old pilot's anecdote more than anything. The story goes during the take-off run, the co-pilot misunderstood the captain scratching his beard for the "gear up" signal, thus collapsing the entire aircraft onto the runway. Hand signals were often used in the very noisy C-82 between crew members for communicating instructions. The seven fatalities is unconfirmed.
Date: 3 August, 1964	Location: Granite Mountains, Arkansas, USA
s/n / msn: 44-23029 / 10073	Operator: M&F Inc. / N4829V	Fatalities: 0
No details at present.
Date: 7 November, 1964	Location: Vera Cruz, Mexico
s/n / msn: 45-57807 / 10177	Operator: Steward-Davis Inc. / N74127	Fatalities: 2
US aircraft belonging to Steward-Davis Inc. crashed while on flight into Mexico. Pilots were Steward-Davis employees Cecil Johns and Jim Springer (co-pilot). The aircraft was the Steward-Davis Skytruck Mk. I prototype. Some sources quote this accident as happening on 11 November, 1964.
Date: 19 December, 1964	Location: airspace near Alexandria, Egypt
s/n / msn: 45-57794 / 10164	Operator: Mecom Oil Co. / N128E	Fatalities: 2
This aircraft was one of several C-82 Packets operated by Mecom Oil Co. of Huston, Texas in the North African and Middle East regions. On the day, the flight from Amman, Jordan was crewed by US pilot Hoyt J. Williams (44) and a Swedish co-pilot Kjell Grupp (37), their destination was Benina Airport, near Benghazi, Libya. Along the flight path is the militarily sensitive area around Alexandria in the United Arab Republic. Due to a mechanical problem, the C-82 was late in departing Amman and had filed a flight-plan with an unapproved route which had not been forwarded to Cairo or Benghazi.  Radio problems were encountered soon after departure as the aircraft failed to send several position reports. From the UAR standpoint therefore an unidentified aircraft entered their airspace from the direction of Israel unannounced (no radios), no over-flight clearance (none was requested prior) and with no flight-plan information available (late departure announcement did not include intentions). Two MiG-21 fighters were scrambled to intercept the C-82 and using international hand signals, motioned for the aircraft to land at Cairo. The aircraft circled Cairo for a period where the fighters then departed thinking N128E was about the land. For reasons unknown Williams appears to have changed his mind about landing and departed Cairo in the direction of Alexandria. At this point a second pair of UAR MiG-21 fighters were dispatched to bring the C-82 down, shots were fired "across the bow" with fatal results. The C-82 came down around 20 miles east of Alexandria (approx. N31 12.00 / E030 18.00) and burned on the ground, both crew members were killed. US Authorities subsequently investigated the incident and decided against further investigation as it seemed clear the actions of Hoyt Williams was the primary cause of the incident. The UAR frequently issued pilot reminders about flying close to their airspace when filing flight-plans. Had Williams made sure his plan was correct, turned back when he must have realised his radio was faulty or obeyed the MiG's command to land in Cairo, the incident would surely have been averted. UAR personnel stated that N128E would have been cleared through it's airspace via radio, even without a prior over-flight request, had a proper flight-plan been received. Source: FAA records for C-82 aircraft: N128E / 45-57794.
Date: 16 January, 1965	Location: near Beaver, Yukon Flats, Alaska, USA
s/n / msn: 45-57793 / 10163	Operator: Interior Airways Inc. / N208M	Fatalities: 0
For some reason this crash seems to have slipped past wreck-hunters for many years as it has only just recently come to light. An Interior Airways C-82, N208M was returning to Fairbanks from Northern Alaska when engine trouble forced it down on the Yukon Flats about 100 miles north of Fairbanks in the vicinity of a small outpost called Beaver. The crew walked away unharmed but the aircraft has remained abandoned and undisturbed to this day.
A photo of  N208M taken by pilot Tom Hird just before it's ill-fated flight on January 16, 1965. The C-46 in the background is Interior Airways N4860V. Photo: Tom Hird.
Undisturbed for decades!, N208M in the remote regions of the Yukon Flats, Alaska.
Date: 29 July, 1965	Location: off the coast of Lermer, Campeche, Mexico
s/n / msn: 45-57733 / 10103	Operator: George B. Adler / N4834V	Fatalities: 0
Forced to ditch due to fuel starvation while trying to land in poor weather that had quickly closed in around all possible landing fields. Expert piloting by Capt. Wendell Levister saw the C-82 ditch in the ocean off the coast of Campeche, Mexico with no loss of life. The aircraft had actually come to rest on an underwater sand bar, the crew sitting on top of the hull when rescuers arrived. N4834V was subsequently abandoned. For a detailed account of this accident see: The Ditching of N4834V in the side menu.
Down in one piece!, the final resting place of N4834V. Photo: Capt. Wendell W. Levister 1965.
Date: 15 March, 1970	Location: Sasasama, Bolivia
s/n / msn: 45-57747 / 10117	Operator: Transportes Aereos Benianos SA / CP-677	Fatalities: 4
CP-677 was destined for San Borja taking-off from Sasasama Field with four crew members. It inexplicably crashed four minutes out of and 12kms from Sasasama into thick jungle on the edge of the Izeze River. The dead crew members could not be recovered for up to ten days due to the rescue party getting lost in the jungle and helicopters not being able to land at the site because of a lack of clearings.
Date: 28 October, 1970	Location: Serra do Norte, Brazil
s/n / msn: 48-578 / 10213	Operator: Amazonia Industrie e Comercio / PT-DNZ	Fatalities: 4
No details at present.
Date: 27 December, 1976	Location: San Ramon, Bolivia
s/n / msn: 45-57777 / 10147	Operator: Transporte Aereos Itenez / CP-983	Fatalities: 6
After difficulties starting the port engine, the aircraft taxied out for take-off with four crew members and two passengers onboard. During the take-off run the aircraft veered off the runway but continued on parallel to it. The pilot tried rotating the aircraft into the air but struggled to gain altitude, the landing gear struck a tractor parked 50 meters beyond the end of the runway. The aircraft then flipped over onto it's back at high speed killing all onboard. The pilot was TA Itenez's owner Capt. Jose Villarroel. The subsequent investigation found some crew members not qualified for the flight, the C-82 was overloaded for the existing conditions and a port engine failure is suspected as a prime reason for the crash. Some sources quote this accident as happening on 27 January, 1977.

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