Texas

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Bergstrom - Bergstrom

MSN:

32828

YOM:

1944

Location:

Austin-Bergstrom

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The C-46 took off from Bergstrom Field on a glider-tow mission. It was towing a Waco CG-4A glider on takeoff from runway 17L when the nr.1 engine began cutting out. The instructor reduced power a little, which seemed to help. The crew were nearing the point were they would release the glider when the nr.2 engine began to loose power. They radioed Bergstrom Field that they would be returning with one engine out after glider release. The controller at Bergstrom Field saw the engine was on fire and instructed the crew to release the glider immediately. The glider pilot had also noted the fire and released the glider himself. The C-46 continued for an emergency landing. The crew were not able to put out the fire. The instructor told the other crew members to bail out from low altitude (750 feet). One crew member made it out but his parachute failed to deploy in time. The airplane struck terrain and crashed in flames following separation of the nr.2 engine.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles Bailey,
Pfc Gerald E. Borchard,
Pvt Robert Borge,
Cpl Arthur H. Carroll Jr.
Source: ASN

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando near Burnet: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 18, 1945 at 2205 LT

Type of aircraft:

Curtiss C-46 Commando

Operator:

Registration:

44-77721

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Bergstrom - Bergstrom

MSN:

33117

YOM:

1945

Location:

Burnet

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew left Bergstrom AFB at 2031LT for a local night training mission. Enroute, the twin engine aircraft crashed on hilly terrain at an altitude of 1,500 feet, some 8 miles northwest of Burnet. The wreckage was found four days later and all four crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Ross A. Capparelli,
2nd Lt Herbert D. Fleming,
2nd Lt Willard E. Jacobson,
T/Sgt Francis J. Pombert.

Crash of a Douglas C-47C near Freer: 6 killed

Date & Time: Mar 13, 1945 at 0130 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-18582

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

4707

YOM:

1942

Location:

Freer

Country:

Region:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew left Greenwood AFB, Mississippi, in the evening of March 12 on a night navigation exercise. Enroute, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulence. He tried to find his way when he lost control of the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located about 6 miles northeast of Freer. The wreckage was found eleven days later, on march 24. All six occupants have been killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Milton Luverne Grams,
F/O Leon L. Hendren,
S/Sgt Paul F. Mason,
F/O James Dewey Mitchell,
F/O Walter J. Mullen,
Cpl Morton N. Sax.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24J-60-CO Liberator near Biggs AAF: 2 killed

Date & Time: May 20, 1944

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-100002

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Biggs - Biggs

MSN:

3150

Location:

Biggs AAF (El Paso)

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Biggs AAF, while climbing, the four engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in a desert area located some 6 miles northeast of the airbase. Two crew members were killed while four others were injured.

Crash of a Martin B-26C-40-MO Marauder in Del Rio: 3 killed

Date & Time: May 12, 1944 at 0930 LT

Type of aircraft:

Martin B-26 Marauder

Operator:

Registration:

41-35821

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Del Rio - Del Rio

Location:

Del Rio

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

6500

Circumstances:

The crew (two pilots and one instructor) was involved in a training flight. While flying some 4 miles east of Del Rio-Laughlin Field, the twin engine aircraft collided with another Martin B-26 Marauder registered 41-35870. Both aircraft crashed and were destroyed by impact forces and post crash fire.
Source: http://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=109108

Probable cause:

It is the opinion of this Board that both airplanes were flying a heading of approximately 80 degrees with airplane B behind and slightly above airplane A. Airplane B was flying faster than airplane A and overtook and collided with airplane A approximately four (4) miles east of Laughlin Field.
The collision was clearly seen by several individuals on this field. All witnesses agree both airplanes were flying contact but since the airplanes collided four to six miles from the various witnesses, there is no clear account of how the collision occurred. The instructor in airplane A had a total of 1,335 hours. The pilot of airplane B had a total of approximately 6,500 hours.
From the evidence found in the wreckage, airplane A exploded and burned while still in the air. Sections of both wings and empennage came off before the aircraft struck the ground. Aircraft B hit the ground relatively intact and was destroyed by fire. The crash was fatal to all personnel.
Any attempt to state what actually caused the accident would be conjecture.
Statement of Responsibility: none
Rocomendations: none

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Austin: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1944 at 1440 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

41-18621

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Bergstrom - Bergstrom

MSN:

4782

YOM:

1942

Location:

Austin

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a training flight and left Austin-Bergstrom AFB in the early afternoon. While cruising some 56 km east of the airbase, the crew reduced his altitude to 300 feet and was flying over small hills when the aircraft banked to the left and reached an angle of some 50 to 60 degrees. The left wing hit trees and the aircraft crashed inverted in a wooded area. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
Verle A. Richards 1.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Amarillo: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 26, 1944 at 0208 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

42-55974

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Amarillo - Monroe

MSN:

2435

YOM:

1943

Location:

Amarillo

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after take off from Amarillo Airport, while in initial climb, the aircraft stalled and crashed. All seven occupants were killed. Crew was on his way to Monroe and return for a night training exercise.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60 LodeStar in South Plains AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Mar 16, 1944 at 2341 LT

Type of aircraft:

Lockheed C-60 LodeStar

Operator:

Registration:

42-55938

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

South Plains AFB (Lubbock)

Schedule:

South Plains AFB - South Plains AFB

MSN:

2375

Location:

Country:

Region: