Training

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fairchild - Fairchild

MSN:

YOM:

1946

Location:

Fairchild AFB (Spokane)

Washington

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a routine training flight and the plane was scheduled to conduct seven practice bomb runs at the Yakima Firing Center in Yakima County. During the takeoff roll from runway 23, the six engine aircraft encountered difficulties to rotate, overran and eventually rotated 520 feet past the runway end. The airplane climbed to a height of 50 feet then nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in a field 3,314 feet past the runway end and 75 feet on the right of the extended center line. Two crew members were seriously injured while 15 others were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed. The pilot was also in command of another B-36 registered 44-92080 that crashed at Fairchild AFB last January 29.
Crew:
Cpt Cecil F. Alldredge, pilot, †
Cpt John Q. Boyd, †
T/Sgt Francis J. Brozowski, †
S/Sgt Martin Gordon Cohn, †
Cpt John E. Daly, †
S/Sgt Earl K. Davis, †
1st Lt Melvin H. Emley, †
S/Sgt John C. Gafford, †
Cpt Arthur L. Hulshizer, †
2nd Lt John J. Knaub, †
A2c Wilbur W. Knox Jr., †
1st Lt Herbert D. Merman, †
Cpt Albert E. Nelson, †
Cpt Earl G. Soderbeck, †
A1c Charles E. Sykora Jr., †
A2c James Breedlove,
M/Sgt Walter L. Campbell.

Probable cause:

The Air Force Board of Inquiry determined the crash was caused by pilot error. During the maximum-weight takeoff, the pilots apparently discovered that the elevator trim was set incorrectly, keeping the plane’s nose down. Rather than abort, Captain Cecil F. Alldredge, the aircraft commander, made the decision to continue, confident the trim could be corrected during the takeoff roll. The corrective action, however, came too late, and the pilots lost control. The plane continued on the ground 520 feet past the end of runway 23 before becoming briefly airborne. After reaching an altitude of approximately 50 feet, the aircraft struck the ground 75 feet to the right and 3,314 feet past the end of the runway and tore through the airfield perimeter fence, coming to rest 450 feet off the base. The debris field extended an additional 1,000 feet.

Crash of a Lockheed P2V-4 Neptune in NAS Brunswick: 6 killed

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed P-2 Neptune

Operator:

Registration:

124255

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brunswick - Brunswick

Location:

Brunswick

Maine

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training sortie at NAS Brunswick. On final approach with one engine inoperative (part of the training program), the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that stalled and crashed in flames in a wooded area. Four crew members were rescued while six others were killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson T.21 in RAF Mandy

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Avro 652 Anson

Operator:

Registration:

WD411

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Douglas C-124 Globemaster II

Schedule:

Manby - Manby

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a local training sortie at RAF Manby. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing to a height of some 400 feet and at a speed of 85 knots with the right engine off (simulating an engine failure with the propeller feathered), the crew was unable to maintain a correct rate of climb. In such conditions, the pilot-in-command decided to attempt an emergency landing. The twin engine aircraft belly landed in a field located 2,5 miles southwest of the airbase, near Little Cawthorpe. Both pilots were slightly injured and the aircraft was written off.

Crash of a Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II near Brookley AFB: 9 killed: 6 killed

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

50-1260

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Brookley - Brookley

MSN:

43282

YOM:

1950

Location:

Brookley AFB (Mobile)

Alabama

Country:

Region:

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The Douglas C-124A-DL Globemaster II was performing a local training sortie at Brookley AFB with a crew of six on board. While approaching the airfield from the north, the four engine aircraft collided with a USAF Douglas VC-47D registered 45-926. Also approaching Brookley AFB, the VC-47 was completing a flight from Maxwell AFB, Alabama, with nine crew members on board. Following the collision, both aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion in a car parking lot located about 6 miles north of the airbase. Both aircraft were destroyed and all 15 crew members were killed.

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-65-BN Superfortress near Onaga: 2 killed

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-62164

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

11641

YOM:

1944

Location:

Onaga

Kansas

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

An unexpected situation occurred during a night training mission over Kansas. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and attempted to make an emergency landing when he lost control of the heavy bomber that crashed in a huge explosion in a field located about 5,5 miles west of Onaga. The pilot was killed as well as a second crew member whose parachute failed to open. All ten other crew members were found alive. Those killed were A2c Charles Filittoni, right gunner, and Lt Col Thomas Stanley Robert, pilot.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford T.1 off RAF Dalcross: 1 killed

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Airspeed AS.10 Oxford

Operator:

Registration:

DF467

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Landing (descent or approach)

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Dalcross - Dalcross

Location:

Country:

Region:

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Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from RAF Dalcross, while in initial climb, the pilot lost control of the aircraft that crashed into the Moray Firth, few hundred yards off shore. The aircraft sank and the pilot was killed. He was engaged in a local training sortie.

Probable cause:

It is believed that the loss of control was caused by an aerodynamic stall.

Crash of a Short S.25 Sunderland MR.5 off Felixstowe

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Short S.25 Sunderland

Operator:

Registration:

PP162

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

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Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a specific mission consisting of a test of the seaplane in rough seas conditions. Upon landing off Felixstowe, the airplane was hit by strong waves and was considered as damaged beyond repair. The crew was unhurt.

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-90-BW Superfortress near Randolph AFB: 8 killed

Date & Time:

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-87774

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Randolph - Randolph

MSN:

12577

YOM:

1944

Location:

Randolph AFB (Seguin)

Texas

Country:

Region: