ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 336700
| Date: | Sunday 23 May 1948 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Curtiss C-46 Commando |
| Owner/operator: | Heyl Ha'Avir (Israeli Air Force) |
| Registration: | RX-136 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | S of Latrun -
 Israel
|
| Phase: | Unknown |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Zatec Air Base (LKZC) |
| Ekron-Tel Nof Air Base |
Because of the 1948-1949 Arab-Israeli conflict the USA had enforced an arms embargo on a.o. Israel. Thus, the Panamanian airline LAPSA (Lineas Aéreas de Panama) was used as a cover for the acquisition of ten C-46 and three L-049 Constellations, by Israeli agents in the USA during late 1947/early 1948.
Two C-46s still registered with LAPSA (RX-130 and RX-136) flew from Zatec, Czech Republic to Israel carrying bombs and a Czech fighter plane. A thick fog enveloped Ekron and people on the ground lit fires to guide in the cargo planes. RX-130 landed uneventfully, but RX-136, headed instead for Tel Aviv-Yafo-Sde-Dov Airport. The gunners at that field did not expect an inbound flight and opened fire at the C-46 through the fog. Having abandoned the landing and flying through the countryside, RX-136 crashed on a gentle slope south of Latrun. The S-199 fuselage broke free on impact and slid forward into the cockpit, killing the navigator.
Sources:
Aeroflight, Real 101 Sqn website
Location
Revision history:
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