Like every other major type in long service and operation, accidents and incidents have been recorded that have substantially reduced the numbers flying. The following list is typical of such a record of operational use.
United Airlines Flight 610 struck the side of Crystal Mountain, Colorado after the crew deviated from the flight path for reasons unknown, killing all 50 passengers and crew on board.
National Airlines Flight 470 crashed in the Gulf of Mexico 20 mi SE off Mobile Point, Alabama after it broke up in severe turbulence from a thunderstorm, killing all 46 passengers and crew on board; the aircraft possibly flew into a waterspout.
April 20, 1953
Western Air Lines Flight 636 (a DC-6B, N91303) crashed in San Francisco Bay due to pilot error, killing eight of 10 on board.
A Philippine Airlines DC-6 (PI-C294) crashed near Rome due to a loss of control caused by possible turbulence, killing all 16 passengers and crew on board.[4]
August 23, 1954
KLM Flight 608, a DC-6B (PH-DFO, Willem Bontekoe), crashed in the North Sea 37 km north of the Dutch coast, killing all 21 passengers and crew on board; the cause was not determined, but cockpit window failure, autopilot failure, an in-flight explosion or an overheating electrical system were suspected.[5]
A TAI DC-6B (F-BGOD) crashed 18 mi NE of Cairo International Airport due to crew error and possible fatigue, killing 52 of 64 on board.[8]
August 29, 1956
Canadian Pacific Air Lines Flight 307 (a DC-6B, CF-CUP, Empress of Mexico City) crashed at Cold Bay, Alaska after the flaps were fully raised at low altitude while circling, killing 15 of 22 on board.[9]
October 10, 1956
US Navy R6D-1 Liftmaster 131588disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean with 59 on board; small debris was found 370 mi WSW of Land's End, England.
November 24, 1956
Linee Aeree Italiane Flight 451, a DC-6B (I-LEAD) flying from Rome to New York, crashed on climbout at midnight from Orly Airport, Paris due to an unexplained loss of altitude, killing 34 of 35 people on board. Captain Attilio Vazzoler, 41, was one of the more experienced pilot of the company with more than 10 thousand hours of flight, and the aircraft was new. The reasons of the disaster remain unknown. Conductor Guido Cantelli was one of the passengers that died in this crash. [10]
January 15, 1957
USAF C-118A 53-3263 was destroyed in a hangar fire at McChord AFB along with C-124C Globemaster II 52-1027; a Lockheed T-33 and de Havilland Canada L-20 Beaver were damaged.
USAF C-118A 53-3277 collided in mid-air with US Navy Lockheed P2V Neptune127723 over Norwalk, California, killing 47 of 49 on board both aircraft and one person on the ground.
August 28, 1958
Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 537, a DC-6B, crashed due to apparent pilot error shortly after taking off from Minneapolis/St Paul Airport resulting in injuries but no deaths.
A Pan Am DC-6A/B (N5026K, Clipper Panama) caught fire and burned out on takeoff from Shannon Airport after the number four engine fell off. The aircraft was destroyed but all 8 persons on board survived, although six dogs in the cargo hold did not survive. The number one blade (which had been bent) on the number four propeller failed due to fatigue; this placed unbalanced loads on the engine, causing the engine to separate.[12]
1960s
January 6, 1960
National Airlines Flight 2511 crashed near Bolivia, North Carolina after a suicide bomb exploded on board, killing all 34 passengers and crew.
Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 205 (a DC-6, LV-ADS) crashed near Salto, Uruguay after the number three propeller separated and struck engine four, causing the aircraft to break up, killing all 31 passengers and crew on board.
September 13, 1960
World Airways Flight 830 (a DC-6A/B, N90779) struck Mount Barrigada near Agana NAS, Guam after the pilot deviated from the departure procedure, killing 80 of 94 on board.
July 19, 1961
Aerolíneas Argentinas Flight 644 crashed 8 mi west of Pardo, Buenos Aires, Argentina due to severe turbulence (some reports state that the aircraft was struck by lightning), killing all 67 passengers and crew in the worst air disaster[citation needed] in Argentine history and the deadliest for the airline.
July 21, 1961
Alaska Airlines Flight 779 (a DC-6A, N6118C) crashed on landing at Shemya, Alaska, after the airport failed to turn the landing lights on, killing all six on board.[16]
September 10, 1961
A President Airlines DC-6 (registration N90773, Theodore Roosevelt) crashed shortly after takeoff from Shannon Airport, killing all 83 people on board in Ireland's worst air disaster.[17]
Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano Flight 915 (a DC-6B, CP-707) struck Chachacomani Peak, Peru, killing all 39 passengers and crew on board. Probable cause for the accident was determined to be VFR flight below flight plan altitude in marginal weather conditions.[19]
May 3, 1963
An Air Afrique DC-6B (F-BIAO) struck Mount Cameroon due to pilot error, killing all 55 passengers and crew on board.
October 2, 1964
A Union de Transports Aériens DC-6B (F-BHMS) struck Mount Alcazaba, Spain, killing all 80 passengers and crew on board; the cause was never determined.
February 6, 1965
LAN Chile Flight 107 flew into the side of a mountain near the San José Volcano in Chile. All 87 passengers and crew on board died in the crash.
April 23, 1965
Aaxico Airlines Flight 1422A (a DC-6A, N6541C) struck Mount Rainier due to spatial disorientation, killing the five crew.
A Belgian International Air Services DC-6B (OO-ABG) crashed while on approach to Malpensa Airport, Italy due to pilot error, killing all four passengers and crew on board.
A Saturn Airways DC-6A (N640NA) crashed while on approach to Kelly AFB, Texas, killing the three crew; the cause was never determined.
February 20, 1967
Sahsa Flight 203, had an accident at Toncontin International Airport because of a reverse system failure, in the forced braking, both back tires caught on fire, the DC-6 overran the runway and caught on fire, killing four passengers.
March 9, 1968
French Air Force DC-6B 43748 struck a hill near Saint Denis, Reunion due to crew error, killing 16 of 17 on board.[21]
A Lloyd Aéreo Boliviano DC-6B (CP-698) struck Count Choquetanga, killing all 74 passengers and crew on board; the wreckage was found three days later.[23]
December 8, 1969
Olympic Airways Flight 954 crashed near Keratea, 21 miles (34 km) to the southeast of Athens. The aircraft was on a domestic flight from Chania to Athens/Hellenicon in poor weather. All 85 passengers and five crew members were killed in the worst-ever accident involving the DC-6.
December 22, 1969
An Air Vietnam DC-6B (B-2005) overran the runway while landing at Nha Trang Airport following an in-flight explosion, killing 10 of 77 on board and 24 on the ground.[24]
1970s
April 28, 1971
A Brazilian Air Force DC-6B FAB-2414 en route from Manaus Air Force Base to Rio de Janeiro had problems with engine vibrations which forced the crew to return to Manaus. On the ground one of the right hand engines burst into flames. The fire spread to the fuselage causing the death of 16 of the 83 occupants.[25]
February 8, 1976
Mercer Airlines Flight 901 (a YC-112A, N901MA) crashed 1 mile short of the runway on a golf course attempting to make an emergency landing at Van Nuys Airport, Van Nuys California after a propeller blade on number 3 engine failed and ripped through the fuselage severing hydraulic lines and electrical wiring, then struck the number 2 engine and caused it to fail. Of the 6 persons on board the 3 flight crew members were killed. The airplane was destroyed.[26]
July 24, 1977
Chilean Air Force DC-6B 989 crashed in a swamp while attempting to land at El Tepual Airport amidst heavy rainfall. All seven crew and 31 of the 75 passengers were killed.[27]
A French Sécurité Civile operated DC-6 aircraft, converted as waterbomber crashed on Puig de les Canals, in the Albera massif, on July 19, 1986, while working to extinguish a large wildfire that was burning throughout the Alt Emporda county, on the spanish side of the border, resulting in the death of all 4 crew members.[31]Remnants of a Douglas DC-6 that crashed in Albera Massif, Catalonia, while on waterbombing duties, on July 19th, 1986. Picture taken on 2016.
December 23, 1987
Aeronica DC-6BF (registered YN-BFO)[32] was shot down by machinegun fire and FIM-43 Redeye surface-to-air missile whilst en route a cargo flight from Managua to Panama City, forcing the pilots to execute a water landing in San Juan River. All six persons on board survived, although they were wounded and injured.[33]
1990s
November 26, 1993
While attempting to land in bad weather, Allcair Douglas C-118B registration N1597F crashed seven miles off course while attempting to land on the blue ice runway at Patriot Hills airport in Antarctica. There were no fatalities but damage was extensive and the aircraft was written off.[34]
July 20, 1996
Northern Air Cargo Flight 33 (a DC-6A, N313RS) was flying a cargo route (Emmonak-Aniak) when it crashed as it attempted an emergency landing at Russian Mission. The emergency landing was due to the number three engine catching fire. As the plane made its approach and when it was turning to final, its right wing was seen folding up. The plane rolled to the right, nose down and slammed into the ground. All 4 on board were killed. The cause of the crash was determined to be a fatigue failure in the engine and improper procedures regarding an emergency by the pilots on board.[35]
2000s
September 25, 2001
Northern Air Cargo Flight 690 (a DC-6BF, N867TA) crashed on landing at Alpine Airstrip in Deadhorse, Alaska. The left wing separated and the aircraft veered off the left side of the runway and was destroyed in a post-crash fire. All three crew on board survived, but the aircraft was written off.[36]
2010s
August 1, 2019
Everts Air Cargo Flight 25 (a C-118A, N451CE) struck a berm on landing at Candle 2 airport in Alaska. The right landing gear was torn from the plane, which veered to the right and off the runway, suffering substantial damage. No injuries were reported.[37]
^Germano da Silva, Carlos Ari César (2008). "Torre de Babel". O rastro da bruxa: história da aviação comercial brasileira no século XX através dos seus acidentes 1928–1996 (in Portuguese) (2 ed.). Porto Alegre: EDIPUCRS. pp. 182–186. ISBN978-85-7430-760-2.
