Black Christmas disaster
The Black Christmas disaster refers to a catastrophic series of air crashes that took place in Shanghai, China, on 25 December 1946. This event involved three out of the four flights scheduled for Shanghai that day, including CATC 48, CNAC 140, and CNAC 115. These crashes were primarily attributed to extremely poor visibility conditions due to foggy weather. As a result, the air crashes disaster claimed the lives of 74 passengers and three residents and resulted in 8 injuries.[1][2][3] At that time, Hongkong Telegraph described this event as the "greatest air disaster in China’s aviation history".[4] According to Smithsonian Magazine, it was "the worst single day in early commercial aviation".[1]
Background
Shanghai Longhua Airport was the hub of two major Chinese airlines, China National Aviation Corporation (CNAC) and Central Air Transport Corporation (CATC). The airport had a runway made from grass and gravel.[1] On the day of the disaster, Shanghai Longhua Airport experienced adverse weather conditions. marked by heavy fogs and rain. The visibility was exceptionally poor, with vertical visibility recorded at approximately 30 metres and horizontal visibility ranging between 15 to 30 metres.
24 kilometres north to Longhua, Jiangwan airport was operated by the US military, which had adopted a ground control approach (GCA) system ensuring safe landing during poor weather. The GCA system at Jiangwan was so new that the earliest installation in the US would be at least four months later. Although CNAC pilots were being trained to use this system in case of emergency, the system was not on during the time due to faulty power supply to the control tower.[1]
Reports show that at least from 6:00 AM, Longhua had been closed, with only one officer, a clerk, and a Morse code operator on duty. By late afternoon, tower controller at Longhua learned that there were four flights heading Shanghai, including CNAC flights 115, 140, and 147 and CATC Flight 48, all originated in Chongqing, a city located 1400 kilometres west to Shanghai.[1]
Flight details
All three crashed all flew from Chongqing, with their last stopover in Wuhan, among which two attempted to land in Nanjing before crashing in Shanghai.
CATC Flight 48
CATC Flight 48, carried by a Douglas C-47, departed from Shanhuba Airport in Chongqing at 8:30 AM on Christmas Day, originally destined for Nanjing. However, the flight encountered low visibility in Nanjing, prompting a diversion to Shanghai. The aircraft reached Longhua Airport at around 4:40 PM but was unable to land due to the same visibility issues. ln an attempt to land at Jiangwan Airport, another airport near Shanghai, the plane crashed about 200 metres north of the airport at approximately 5:00 PM. This accident resulted in the loss of all ten people on the plane and the lives of three local residents on the ground.
CNAC Flight 140
CNAc Flight 140, operated with a Douglas DC-10, took off from Shanhuba Airport in Chongging at 10:15 AM, with scheduled stopovers at Wuhan and Nanjing, before its final destination in Shanghai. The aircraft arived in Wuhan at 3:00 PM, where CNAC was warned about the low visibility near Shanghai but decided to continue the fight. After being unable to land in Naniing following three attempts at Ming Palace Airport, the fight was diverted to Shanghai. Tragically, the aircraft ran out of fuelduring its attempt to land at Longhua Airport, leading to a crash approximately 10 metres from the airport at 755 PM. The crash claimed the lives of Captain James Greenwood, First Officer Liu Linseng, radio operator Jin Keng, and 27 passengers. Of the 10survivors, 7 later succumbed to their injuries while being transported to local hospitals
CNAC Flight 115:
CNAC Flight 115, operated by a Curtiss C-46, departed from Baishiyi Airport in Chongging with a stopover in Wuhan, heading for Shanghai's Jiangwan Airport. Despite low visibility warnings in Shanghai, the flight continued from Wuhan. Upon approachingShanghai at 5:30 PM, the aircraft failed to establish contact with Jiangwan Airport and aborted a blind landing. At 9:00 PM, the flighi attempted to land at Longhua Airport due to improved visibility but crashed 1.6 kilometres southwest of the airport at a local school at 9:30 PiM, First Officer Tan Xinzheng and 20 passengers died in the crash, Captain Rolf Brandt Preus, radio operator Wang Xiaode, and 6 passengers survived.
Aftermaths
After the tragedy, the National People's Congress held a meeting and proposed a temporary motion to dismiss the Minister of Transport, Yu Dawei, and the heads of both the Central and China Airlines. Regarding the C-46 and C-47 aircraft involved in the incident, Dai Jitao's son, Dai Anguo, who was the Director of Civil Aviation at the time, was forced to admit that these transport planes, originally used for wartime needs, had already been discontinued in the United States. He acknowledged that the planes were inadequately equipped with parts and announced the cessation of future imports of these models. The Shanghai District Court's Prosecution Office later determined that the airline's lack of proper blind landing and night flying equipment was one of the causes of the crash. Both airlines were deemed responsible for "negligence leading to death". On 28 December, the court assigned prosecutors to investigate the case. However, on 1 January 1947, the Nationalist government issued a general amnesty, and the investigation was subsequently halted.[5][6][7]
Due to public pressure, Longhua Airport underwent reconstruction of its facilities after the accident. Additionally, on 1 July 1947, the Longhua Air Station was established to manage domestic civil aviation flight dispatching.[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e Magazine, Smithsonian; Willett, Robert L. "The Black Christmas Disaster". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ "SHANGHAI AIR TRAGEDY". Cairns Post. 28 December 1946. p. 1. Retrieved 8 January 2024.
- ^ "77 KILLED IN CHINA IN 3 PLANE CRASHES; 22 More Are Hurt in Airliner Disasters Near Shanghai-- Fourth Craft Is Missing". The New York Times. 1946-12-26. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
- ^ "Opinion | New hotel on site of 'greatest air disaster in China's aviation history'". South China Morning Post. 2019-12-20. Retrieved 2024-01-09.
- ^ "1946年圣诞节 三架飞机在上海失事". Archived from the original on 2019-05-15. Retrieved 2003-12-18.
- ^ "1946年上海"12·25空难案"". Archived from the original on 2021-09-21. Retrieved 2008-04-08.
- ^ "黑色圣诞：74年前的上海三机空难事件纪实". Retrieved 2020-12-25.
- ^ "上海龙华机场". Archived from the original on 2014-05-21. Retrieved 2014-05-21.