1957 — July 16, USAF C47 crash, Mt. Cha Tien between Hsinchu and Taipei, Taiwan –all 16

–16 AP. “No Survivors Found In US Plane Crash.” East Liverpool Review, OH, 7-18-1957, p.12.
–16 Aviation Safety Network. USAF C-47A crash near Hsinchu, Taiwan, 16 July 1957.
–16 Baugher. Joseph. 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437). 5-14-2023 revision.
–16 Planecrashinfo.com. Accident Details. USAF C-47A near Hsinchu, Taiwan July 16, 1957.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: Tuesday 16 July 1957
“Type: Douglas C-47A-90-DL (DC-3)
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 43-15867
“MSN: 20333
“First flight: 1944
“Crew: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
“Passengers: Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9
“Total: Fatalities: 16 / Occupants: 16
….
“Location: near Hsinchu (Taiwan)
“Phase: Unknown
“Nature: Military
“Destination airport: ? [See below: was from Clark Field, Philippines to home base in Taipei.]
“Narrative: Crashed. All seven crew and nine passengers were killed.”

Baugher: “15867….USAF W/o 16 Jul 1957 near Hsinchu, Taiwan. 16 fatalities.:

Planecrashinfo.com. Accident Details. USAF C-47A near Hsinchu, Taiwan July 16, 1957:
“….Summary: The Air Force transport was en route when it crashed at Mount Chaiopeng between Hsinchu and Taipei.”

Newspapers

July 16, UP: “Taipei, Formosa (UP) – An American C47 military transport plane with 16 persons aboard is missing somewhere over Formosa, the U.S. 13th Air Force announced today. The plane, with a crew of seven and nine passengers was overdue on a flight from Clark Air Force Base in the Philippines.” (United Press. “U.S. plane with 16 aboard missing over Formosa.” The Daily Telegram, Columbus, NE. 7-16-1957, p. 1.)

July 17, UP: “Taipei, Formosa (U.P.) – A U.S. Air Force C47 transport vanished over the rugged terrain of northern Formosa Tuesday with 16 persons aboard. It was the second aerial mishap in the Pacific in 24 hours. A Dutch airliner with 68 persons aboard crashed in flames Monday night after taking off from Biak Island just off the coast of Netherlands New Guinea, killing 57 persons.

“The 13th Air Force C47 with a crew of seven and nine passengers was en route from Clark Field in the Philippines to Taipei. It radioed Taipei at 6:20 a.m. MDT that it was over the Formosan west coast city of Hsinchu. Then was silence. The twin-engine plane should have landed at Taipei 20 minutes after sighting Hsinchu.

“Most of the crew and passengers were based on Formosa. Authorities said the plane was on a routine administrative flight.

“Scores of U.S. Air Force and Chinese Nationalist Air Force planes took off for a search of northern Formosa and the Straits off Hsinchu, but darkness hampered them.

“Air Force officials hastily checked all air fields on Formosa in hopes the plane had put in safely, but all reported no sign of a C47….” (United Press. “Air Force C47 With 16 Aboard Lost.” The Montana Standard, Butte. 7-17-1957, p. 1.)

July 18, AP: “Taipei, Formosa [Taiwan] (AP) – A Chinese rescue team today reached the wreckage of a U.S. Air Force plane with 16 aboard and found no survivors, police reported. The team could identify only 10 bodies in the wreckage on a mountain slope. Seven crewmen and nine passengers were aboard the two-engine C47 transport when it vanished Tuesday night near the end of a trip from Clark Field in the Philippines [to the south] to its base at Taipei. The search team came across the wreckage in the jagged mountains between Taipei and the Formosa Strait. It was spread along the forested slopes of Mt. Cha Tien near Hsinchu. A spokesman at U.S. Air Force headquarters said American search parties are en route to the scene.” (Associated Press. “No Survivors Found In U.S. Plane Crash.” East Liverpool Review, OH, 7-18-1957, p. 12.)

Sources

Associated Press. “No Survivors Found In U.S. Plane Crash.” East Liverpool Review, OH, 7-18-1957, p. 12. Accessed 7-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/east-liverpool-review-jul-18-1957-p-12/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. USAF Douglas C-47A-90-DL (DC-3) crash near Hsinchu, Taiwan, 16 July 1957. Accessed 7-7-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19570716-1

Baugher, Joseph. 1943 USAAF Serial Numbers (43-5109 to 43-52437). 5-14-2023 revision. Accessed 7-7-2023 at: https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1943_2.html

Planecrashinfo.com. Accident Details. USAF C-47A near Hsinchu, Taiwan July 16, 1957. Accessed 7-7-2023 at: https://www.planecrashinfo.com/1957/1957-36.htm

United Press. “Air Force C47 With 16 Aboard Lost.” The Montana Standard, Butte. 7-17-1957, p. 1. Accessed 7-7-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/butte-montana-standard-jul-17-1957-p-1/

United Press. “U.S. plane with 16 aboard missing over Formosa.” The Daily Telegram, Columbus, NE. 7-16-1957, p. 1. Accessed 7-7-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/columbus-daily-telegram-jul-16-1957-p-1/