Fort Benning AFB (Lawson AAF)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

11061

YOM:

1952

Location:

Huntingdon

Tennessee

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1188

Captain / Total hours on type:

436.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

444

Copilot / Total hours on type:

104

Circumstances:

The crew left Fort Benning-Lawson AFB in Columbus, Georgia, at 1334LT on a training flight to Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. The training program consisted of approaches, touch and goes and landings. After takeoff from Fort Benning, the captain decided to modify his schedule and flew to the northwest to Huntingdon, Tennesse, where he came from. This city is more than 300 miles northwest from Fort Benning. Approaching Huntingdon, the captain reduced his altitude and completed a first low pass over the city. Few minutes later, at a speed of 230 knots, he made a second low pass over the city when the plane hit the roof of a house and disintegrated on a field. All four crew members were killed while nobody on the ground was injured.
Crew:
1st Lt Jack C. Jenkins, pilot,
2nd Lt John C. Peachey, copilot,
A2c Franklin D. Levy, flight engineer,
A2c David A. Probus, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The aircraft disintegrated as a result of stress applied beyond the designed load limits. Inspection of the engines disclosed no malfunction of the power recovery turbines. The pilot violated several procedures by operating an aircraft in a careless and reckless manner, by flying over a congested area at less than 2,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a radius of 2,000 feet, by disregarding established boundaries of the local flying area and proceeding to a point approximately 170 nautical miles outside of the prescribed flying area while operating on a local flight clearance. In addition, the pilot failed to follow instructions for accomplishing scheduled crew training published by squadron training directive and as briefed by the Squadron Operations Officer. The pilot had made two extremely low and high speed passes over the town of Huntingdon.

Final Report:

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DK in Macon: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 3, 1944 at 0029 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-92042

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Dunnellon AFB - Fort Benning AFB

MSN:

11799

YOM:

1943

Location:

Macon

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Aircraft left Dunnellon AFB, Florida, at 1715LT bound for Fort Benning-Lawson, Georgia, with another USAF C-47, for a training mission. En route, weather conditions worsened and as the first aircraft landed safely at 1917LT, the crew of the second aircraft lost his orientation. Due to poor weather conditions, the authorities of Fort Benning-Lawson AFB decided to close all runways to traffic at 1930LT. For more than two hours, crew maintained radio contact with Atlanta ATC until the aircraft disappeared at 0029LT. SAR operations found the wreckage and the dead bodies of all five occupants on the next morning in a hilly area located some 5 miles northeast of Macon.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL in Fort Benning AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: Dec 4, 1943 at 1030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

41-19494

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

6137

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The left engine has been changed and the crew was completing a test flight following maintenance. The aircraft left Fort Benning AFB at 0946LT for a control flight. While cruising at a height of 3,500 feet, the crew encountered technical problems with the right engine that was over speeding. The captain decided to shut down the right engine and to feather the propeller but this was not possible, causing a high drag. He attempted to return to the base and informed ground of the when, on approach, the aircraft stalled and crashed in a field located 5 miles from runway 32 threshold. Two crew members were injured while the third occupant, 2nd Lt Robert A. Duclos, was killed.

Probable cause:

Right engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL near Tamaqua: 7 killed

Date & Time: Nov 21, 1943 at 2110 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-32929

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Willow Grove - Maxton

MSN:

9155

YOM:

1943

Location:

Tamaqua

Pennsylvania

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a flight from Fort-Benning-Lawson AFB, Georgia, to Willow Grove NAS, Pennsylvania, where he should take delivery of a glider that must be towed to the Maxton AFB. While approaching Washington DC by night, weather conditions deteriorated and the crew decided to divert to the Barnsville Airport. Due to low visibility, he was unable to localize this airport and followed a holding circuit when the aircraft hit the Mt Locust located less than a mile west of Tamaqua. Two passengers were seriously injured while seven other occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt George A. Blanchard,
Cpt Bernard Cederholm,
2nd Lt George J. Fritsche Jr.,
Pvt Edmund J. Gaydos,
1st Lt Paul A. Gregory Jr.,
T/Sgt Emmett W. Johnson,
Sgt Manuel Lorber.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Fort Benning AFB: 6 killed

Date & Time: Oct 27, 1943 at 2156 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

41-18416

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fort Benning AFB - Fort Benning AFB

MSN:

4478

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was involved in a training mission and left Fort Benning AFB at 1945LT for touch and go maneuvers. While completing a last turn to the runway, the aircraft hit the ground with its left wing, cartwheeled and crashed in flames 4,7 miles short of runway. All six occupants were killed.
Crew:
Pvt William N. Copeland,
2nd Lt Howard W. Hand,
1st Lt Ben W. Herr,
Cpl Vomell G. Parrish,
Sgt Andrew Sozanski Jr.,
Ferdinand Stumpt.

Probable cause:

The accident was caused by an error on part of the crew who misjudged the distance to the ground. Poor visibility due to night and marginal weather conditions was considered as a contributory factor.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Fort Benning AFB: 20 killed

Date & Time: Oct 22, 1943 at 2024 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-5677

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

7371

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft was engaged in a training sortie in Fort Benning AFB with 26 paratroopers on board. After several passes over the drop zone, 11 crewmen bailed out. Due to an insufficient airspeed, the aircraft stalled. All 15 paratroopers moved to the rear of the cabin, shifting the center of gravity. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion, killing all 20 occupants.
Crew:
1st Lt Milton W. Craig,
Sgt Robert W. Farmer,
2nd Lt Gerard A. Schafer,
Pfc Donald M. Schroeder,
Pfc Frank J. Sloboda.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the stall was caused by an inadvertent low speed adopted by the crew during a dropping exercise with paratroopers.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Fort Benning AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1943 at 0730 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-18566

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

4691

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a routine training flight and left Fort Benning AFB in the early morning. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 feet, a technical failure occurred on the left engine from which all propeller blades broke away. The engine suffered severe vibrations and detached few seconds later, causing the wing to be partially torn off. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed, killing all four occupants.
Crew:
Cpl Vincent James Faggione,
2nd Lt Orville Clarence Hern,
2nd Lt Melvin Lloyd Jenkinson,
Cpl Edward Hugh Jolly.

Probable cause:

Failure of the propeller blade on port engine.

Crash of a Douglas C-53 in Brookley AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 3, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-15534

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Mobile - Fort Benning

MSN:

7329

YOM:

1942

Location:

Brookley AFB (Mobile)

Alabama

Country:

Region: