Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

49-0149

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Supply

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Hải Phòng - Hải Phòng

MSN:

10386

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The crew, James B. McGovern Jr. and Wallace A. Buford, were engaged in a supply mission to the French Army Forced in Ðiện Biên Phủ, carrying a load of artillery pieced. Enroute, the aircraft was hit by enemy fire and one of the engine was lost. The crew decided to return to Hải Phòng-Catbi Airport but the aircraft lost height until it struck a ridge and crashed. Both crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar near Beulaville: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 22, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

52-5904

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Seymour Johnson - Seymour Johnson

MSN:

11071

YOM:

1952

Location:

Beulaville

North Carolina

Country:

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Circumstances:

While conducting a training mission, the crew encountered an unexpected situation. Two crew members were able to bail out before the aircraft crashed in a prairie located about six miles northwest of Beulaville. Two other crew members were killed.

Crash of a Kaiser-Frazer C-119J Flying Boxcar near Santa Clarita: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 20, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

51-8153

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Williams - Burbank

MSN:

156

YOM:

1952

Location:

Santa Clarita

California

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Circumstances:

Following an uneventful flight from Williams AFB, Arizona, the crew started the approach to Burbank Airport from the north when he encountered foggy conditions. The aircraft hit the slope of the Mt Mission Point (2,771 feet high) located about five miles south of Santa Clarita. All seven crew members were killed.

Ground accident of a Kaiser-Frazer C-119J Flying Boxcar in Birmingham

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Operator:

Registration:

51-8133

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Test

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Birmingham - Birmingham

MSN:

136

YOM:

1952

Location:

Birmingham

Alabama

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew (engineers and technicians) were performing ground test following technical modifications. While taxiing, the airplane went out of control, veered off taxiway and came to rest. Both occupants were uninjured while the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119F-FA Flying Boxcar at Pope AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 30, 1954 at 1000 LT

Type of aircraft:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Operator:

Registration:

51-2679

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Pope – Godman

MSN:

10668

YOM:

1951

Location:

Pope AFB (Fayetteville)

North Carolina

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

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Pax on board:

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Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Shortly after takeoff from Pope AFB, while climbing, the airplane suffered an engine failure, stalled and crashed in a huge explosion on the mess hall at Fort Bragg. Two crew members and five officers on the ground were killed while nine other people were injured among them four crew members.
Those killed were:
1st Lt Albert W. Parks, pilot,
A1c Rudolph Valentino Short,
Cpl Robert Dervan,
Cpl Donald F. Greenlee,
Pvt James A. Macre,
Cpl Osman S. Palmer.
Those injured were:
Cwo William Angeloff,
1st Lt Raymond Fitzsimmons, copilot,
Pvt Ralph E. Salisbury,
A1c Eugene R. Snyder,
Sgt Henry C. Clay,
Pfc William Cook,
Pfc Edward Ellison,
Edward A. Ross,
Cpt Charles L. Shirley.

Probable cause:

Engine failure during initial climb.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119F-FA Flying Boxcar in Lothian: 18 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1954 at 2229 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

51-7993

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Oklahoma City – Bolling – Mitchel

MSN:

10732

YOM:

1951

Location:

Lothian

Maryland

Country:

Region:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising under VFR in poor weather conditions, the crew contacted ATC and requested the permission to continue under IFR. Awaiting the permission, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in Lothian, about 14 miles east of Andrews AFB. All 18 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident and that the crew should never start the flight under VFR rules. While cruising under VFR rules in IFR conditions, the crew lost control of the aircraft.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar in Huntingdon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1954 at 1450 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

52-5894

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

11061

YOM:

1952

Location:

Huntingdon

Tennessee

Country:

Region:

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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 Fairchild C-119C-18-FA Flying Boxcar in Caceres

Date & Time: Feb 8, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

50-0163

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

10481

YOM:

1950

Location:

Caceres

Country:

Spain

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failed in flight. The captain ordered his crew to bail out. The aircraft then dove into the ground and crashed in a prairie. All eight crew members were rescued while the aircraft was destroyed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G-FA Flying Boxcar in Newton Falls: 2 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1953 at 1225 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

51-8086

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Sewart - Sewart

MSN:

10980

YOM:

1952

Location:

Newton Falls

Ohio

Country:

Region: