Conversation so far:
What date was the near fatal crash?
Hughes was involved in another near-fatal aircraft accident on July 7, 1946.
Did howard sustain any injuries?
Hughes sustained significant injuries in the crash, including a crushed collar bone, multiple cracked ribs, crushed chest with collapsed left lung.
Were those his only injuries?
shifting his heart to the right side of the chest cavity, and numerous third-degree burns.
When did hughes get started?
During the 1940s to the late 1950s, the Hughes Tool Company ventured into the film industry when it obtained partial ownership of the RKO companies.

Question: What were the RKO companies?
Self-contained rewrite: What were the RKO companies?