North Carolina

Operator:

Registration:

42-23866

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Fayetteville - Fayetteville

MSN:

9728

YOM:

1943

Location:

Pope AFB (Fayetteville)

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a paratroop exercise involving twelve similar aircraft. Number eight, the pilot started the take off procedure when the aircraft swerved on the runway. The captain decided to take off prematurely and while at a height of some 150 feet, the aircraft banked left and crashed in flames on the left side of the runway. A pilot was killed while all ten other occupants were injured.

Probable cause:

According to the investigations, the crew precipitated the rotation because the aircraft swerved on take off and slip from left to right. The course was not straight because the tail wheel was unlocked.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL in Fayetteville-Pope: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 6, 1944 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-23925

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Fayetteville - Fayetteville

MSN:

9787

YOM:

1943

Location:

Pope AFB (Fayetteville)

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a training flight in the region of the Fayetteville-Pope Airport. En route, the aircraft flew into a cloudy area and the pilot decided to leave the zone and made a 180 turn when, from a height of some 700 to 1,000 feet, he lost control of the aircraft that dove into the ground. During the dive, the right elevator failed before the aircraft crashed in a field in a near vertical position. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-65-DL near Sanford: 2 killed

Date & Time: Mar 29, 1944 at 0235 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-100493

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Fayetteville - Raleigh - Greensboro

MSN:

18956

YOM:

1943

Location:

Sanford

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 engaged in a night training exercise to Greensboro with an intermediate stop in Raleigh-Durham. The aircraft left Fayetteville-Pope AFB at the end of the evening and while cruising at an altitude of some 5,000 feet, the electrical system suffered technical problems while an auxiliary generator failed. The Pitot tube deicing system failed as well, so the parameters transmitted to the airspeed indicator were erroneous. In such situation, crew decided to return to Fayetteville and while flying across the last cloud layer, the crew did not realize his altitude was insufficient due to poor visibility. The aircraft hit a mountain slope and was totally wrecked some 14 km west of Sanford. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Theodore Cole 1.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO in Maxton AFB: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1944 at 2158 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-68800

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Maxton AFB - Maxton AFB

MSN:

11727

YOM:

1943

Location:

Maxton AFB

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Aircraft was engaged in a local training mission and was towing two gliders. Shortly after takeoff from runway 05, while climbing, the right engine failed. Right away, the crew dropped both gliders to return to the airport. But the Skytrooper stalled and crashed in a wooded area near the airport. Two crew were injured while the third occupant was killed.

Probable cause:

Failure of the right engine.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL in Parkton: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1944 at 2030 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-23795

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Mackall AFB - Mackall AFB

MSN:

9657

YOM:

1943

Location:

Parkton

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crew left Mackall AFB near Hoffman at the end of the afternoon for a training mission. While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, aircraft went out of control and dove into the ground. During the dive, aircraft broke in several pieces and eventually came to rest in a wooded area, killing all four occupants.

Probable cause:

According to USAF officials, it appears that crew was performing aerobatics manoeuvres and that the aircraft was completing a looping when the loss of control occurred.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-15-DL in Mackall AFB: 14 killed

Date & Time: Oct 29, 1943 at 1916 LT

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

42-23391

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Mackall - Mackall

MSN:

9253

YOM:

1943

Location:

Mackall AAF

Country:

Region:

Landing (descent or approach)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Mackall AFB early in the evening for a para-drop training mission. While approaching the drop zone at a height of 300 feet, the left engine failed. Due to low height, it was impossible for the paratroopers to leave the cabin so the crew decided to return to the base. On final approach, the aircraft was misaligned and the captain decided to go around and increased power on the right engine. The aircraft continued on a flat attitude and then banked sharply to the left. It hit tree tops, stalled and crashed short of runway. Six occupants were rescued while all 14 others were killed.
The 4 crew members killed were:
2nd Lt Richard A. Christian,
2nd Lt Charles C. Hinson,
Cpt Leroy A. Listug Jr.,
S/Sgt James McGarthy.

Probable cause:

The exact cause of the failure on the left engine was not determined with certainty. However, US Command noted that fuel contained in the tanks was a 91 octane fuel and it should be relevant to use a 100 octane fuel in the future.

Crash of a Martin PBM-3C Mariner into the Perquimans River: 6 killed

Date & Time: Sep 24, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Martin PBM Mariner

Operator:

Registration:

01668

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Perquimans River

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

During a night training mission, the seaplane was landing on the Perquimans River when it nosed down and sank. All six crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D Skytrooper in Maxton AFB: 25 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1943 at 0849 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-68729

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Maxton - Godman

MSN:

11656

YOM:

1943

Location:

Maxton AFB

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 performing a flight from Laurinburg-Maxton AFB to Godman AFB located near Louisville, Kentucky. Shortly after take off, while climbing at a height of 300 feet, the pilot saw in front of him another Douglas C-53 towing a glider. To avoid any collision, the captain turn sharply to the left but the evasive action was too strong, so the aircraft entered a spin and crashed in a huge explosion. All 25 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Paul Wideman Arthaud,
Pvt Joseph John Bacon,
Pfc Fred Balkin,
Tec Edith M. Ballenger,
2nd Lt William Howard Brownholtz,
Cpt Roland B. Cooper,
Pfc Howard W. DeTers,
Cpl Betty Walker Driskill,
F/O Charles Gorman Dunckle,
Sgt Leonard James Gougeon,
1st Lt John L. Jones,
1st Lt John Lester Kennedy,
S/Sgt F. R. McIntyre,
Pvt Alvin Leroy Montgomery,
2nd Lt Frank William Nellis,
Cpl Albert Edward Nies,
2nd Lt John F. Reynolds,
Cpt William Holan Roberts,
Cpl Ray O. Roby,
1st Lt Ralph Gerald Roiland,
Pfc Melvin Schoenberg,
2nd Lt J. E. Walsh,
2nd Lt Martha Rosella Webb,
Sgt George L. West,
2nd Lt Robert Gifford White.

Probable cause:

Loss of control caused by an evasive action on take off.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO Skytrooper near Garland: 4 killed

Date & Time: Aug 27, 1943 at 2130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-68746

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Fayetteville-Pope - Fayetteville-Pope

MSN:

11673

YOM:

1943

Location:

Garland

Country:

Region: