Fürstenfeldbruck AFB

Crashed at Fürstenfeldbruck AFB while completing a local training flight. Both crew members were killed.

On final approach, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances one km short of runway threshold. All nine occupants were evacuated safely while the aircraft was written off.

Shortly after takeoff from Wiesbaden-Erbenheim AFB, while climbing, an engine exploded. Two crew members were able to bail out and were later rescued while both other occupants were killed when the airplane crashed in a field located 6 km southeast of the airbase.

The crew was performing a flight from Madrid-Barajas to the airbase of Fürstenfeldbruck located west of Munich. At 1455LT, while cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet, the radio operator informed ground about his position three km south of Dijon. Apparently due to navigation errors, the airplane then continued to the east over the Swiss Alps when it hit the slope of a mountain surrounding the Guggi Glacier. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, Swiss authorities were contacted at the end of the day by the USAF quarters in Frankfurt-Main AB that an airplane was missing. SAR operations were conducted by locals and the wreckage was found a day later at an altitude of 3,000 meters. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all eight occupants have been killed.
Crew:
Lt Col Gus John Mehess, pilot,
Lt Col Robert L. Spear, copilot,
Maj Samuel D. McFadden, instructor pilot,
Sgt Earl D. Clay, radio operator,
Cpl Boyd F. Crook, flight engineer,
Lt Col Orville H. Riggs, observer,
Maj Ralph C. Adams, observer.
Passenger:
Erwin L. Steinert, radio operator.
Source & photo:
http://www.bezg.ch/img/publikation/12_1/01_12_BEZG_cornioley.pdf