 A Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, the model of aircraft which crashed | |
| Accident | |
|---|---|
| Date | June 18, 1953 |
| Summary | Engine failure; pilot error; loss of control |
| Site | Kodaira, Tokyo, Japan 35°43′57″N 139°27′27″E / 35.73250°N 139.45750°E |
| Aircraft | |
| Aircraft type | Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II |
| Operator | United States Air Force |
| Registration | 51-0137 |
| Flight origin | Tachikawa Air Base, Tachikawa, Japan |
| Destination | Kimpo International Airport, Seoul, South Korea |
| Occupants | 129 |
| Passengers | 122 |
| Crew | 7 |
| Fatalities | 129 |
| Survivors | 0 |
| Ground casualties | |
| Ground injuries | 1 |
The Tachikawa air disaster (Japanese: 立川基地グローブマスター機墜落事故, Hepburn: Tachikawa kichi Gurōbumasutā-ki tsuiraku jiko) occurred on the afternoon of Thursday, June 18, 1953, when a United States Air Force (USAF) Douglas C-124 Globemaster II aircraft crashed three minutes after takeoff from Tachikawa, Japan, killing all 129 people on board. At the time, the crash was the deadliest in aviation history.