1945 Saruwaged air accident

The 1945 Saruwaged air accident occurred on 27 March 1945, when a United States Army Air Forces Douglas C-47A-90-DL Skytrain transport aircraft disappeared en route from Townsville, Australia, to Finschhafen in the Territory of New Guinea. It is presumed to have crashed somewhere in the Saruwaged Range in what is now Morobe Province of Papua New Guinea. On board were 20 passengers and four crew members, all of whom are presumed to have died in the accident.

The accident aircraft departed Mindoro in the Philippines for Sydney on 16 March 1945. It was carrying soldiers going on leave. On 27 March the aircraft was on its return journey to Mindoro carrying those returning from leave. It departed Townsville at 20:21 for New Guinea, but never arrived at its destination. The search began on 29 March. Aircraft of both the United States Army Air Forces and the Royal Australian Air Force searched for the missing aircraft. All airfields north of Townsville were also checked in case the aircraft had made a forced landing. No trace of the aircraft was, however, found.

The aircraft is believed to have crashed in the mountain area behind the village of Kamadarang. After the fruitless searches, all those on board were declared dead, and their date of death has been given as the date of the aircraft's disappearance, 27 March 1945.