23 July 1954 Douglas C-54A-10-DC Skymaster 10 23 July 1954: Cathay Pacific VR-HEU ditched into the South China Sea after being shot by two Lavochkin La-11 fighters of the 85th Fighter Regiment, People's Liberation Army Air Force (PLAAF). While ten passengers and crew were killed by bullets and the subsequent ditching, eight others survived and escaped from the sinking plane, including both pilots.[9] 26 March 1955 Boeing 377 Stratocruiser 4 26 March 1955: Pan Am Flight 845/26 ditched 35 miles from the Oregon coast after an engine tore loose.