Douglas DC-7 crash, Sep 12, 1966, Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo) K...
Douglas DC-7 accident on September 12, 1966 near Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo) Kantō, Japan with no fatalities. Cause: Improper cargo loading that put the...
- Date: September 12, 1966
- Aircraft: Douglas DC-7
- Location: Tachikawa AFB (Tokyo) Kantō, Japan
- Fatalities: 0
- Phase of flight: Takeoff and climb
- Cause: Improper cargo loading that put the center of gravity too far forward, so the aircraft could not rotate at takeoff
An Airlift International DC7 cargo flight departing Tachikawa for Wake Island on the night of 12 September 1966 used the paved overrun area at the crew's request. It did not rotate at the target speed, so the crew shut the engines down and braked hard, but the aircraft ran through a fence and its landing gear collapsed. All four crew members were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.