A U.S. Navy R6D-1 Liftmaster, similar to the accident aircraft, operating for the Military Air Transport Service in the 1950s.
| |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | October 10, 1956 (1956-10-10) |
| Summary | Unknown |
| Site | Atlantic Ocean, 590 km (368.8 miles) southwest of Land's End, United Kingdom |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas R6D-1 Liftmaster |
| Operator | United States Navy, Military Air Transport Service (MATS) |
| Registration | BuNo 131588 |
| Flight origin | RAF Lakenheath, England |
| Destination | Lajes Field, Azores |
| Passengers | 50 |
| Crew | 9 |
| Fatalities | 59 |
| Survivors | 0 |
The 1956 Atlantic R6D-1 disappearance involved a Douglas R6D-1 Liftmaster (BuNo 131588) of the United States Navy which disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean on 10 October 1956 with the loss of all 59 people on board.
The R6D-1 – the U.S. Navy version of the United States Air Force C-118 Liftmaster and the civilian Douglas DC-6B airliner – was carrying a crew of nine and 50 passengers on a scheduled Military Air Transport Service flight from RAF Lakenheath, England, to Lajes Field in the Azores on 10 October 1956[1] when it disappeared over the Atlantic Ocean about 590 kilometers (370 mi; 320 nmi) southwest of Land's End, England, at approximately 22:10.[2][3]
All of the passengers were personnel of the U.S. Air Force's307th Bombardment Wing stationed at Lincoln Air Force Base, Nebraska, returning to the United States from 90 days of temporary duty in England.[4] The disappearance was the second major accident involving a Navy R6D-1 in 19 months, an R6D-1 having crashed in Hawaii in March 1955.
A 14-day search for the aircraft and survivors found only wheels and a life raft floating 596 kilometers (370 mi; 322 nmi) southwest of Land's End. No trace of the crew or passengers was ever found.[2][3][5]
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Aviation accidents and incidents in 1956 (1956)
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|---|---|
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Feb 18 Scottish Airlines Malta disaster Feb 20 Mar 10 US Air Force B-47 disappearance Apr 1 Apr 2 Northwest Orient Airlines Flight 2 May 15 Jun 20 Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 Jun 24 Kano Airport BOAC Argonaut crash Jun 30 Grand Canyon mid-air collision Jul 9 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 304 Jul 24 Sep 22 Oct 1 London Heathrow Avro Vulcan crash Oct 10 Oct 16 Nov 7 Nov 24 Nov 24 Linee Aeree Italiane Flight 451 Nov 27 Linea Aeropostal Venezolana Flight 253 Dec 9 Trans-Canada Air Lines Flight 810 | |
