Kwajalein

The crew was completing a local training mission at Kwajalein Island Airport. Upon touchdown, one of the undercarriage collapsed. The aircraft came to rest on the runway and was damaged beyond repair. There were no casualties.

The crew was engaged in a short positioning flight from Roi-Namur Airport (north part of the Kwajalein atoll) to the main airport of Kwajalein located on the south part of the same atoll. During the takeoff roll on runway 04, the captain decided to abort for unknown reason. Unable to stop within the remaining distance, the aircraft overran and came to rest into the sea. The left wing was broken in two and the aircraft was later removed from water but declared as damaged beyond repair. There were no injuries among the 16 occupants.

Special thanks to US Army Louis D. Sutton, PIC on the following US Army C-54 that should takeoff immediately after the accident one, for his testimony.

The heavy bomber left Andersen AFB at 0605LT on its way back to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, via Kwajalein Island. Shortly after takeoff, the engine number two failed. The crew was able to shot it down and feathered the propeller. On final approach to runway 07R, after passing through the last cloud layer, the pilot-in-command decided to make a go around and following a circuit before starting a second approach few minutes later. While struggling to land the second time, he turned the B-29 into the feathered propeller at too steep of an angle, with the landing gear down, and flaps retracted which caused the bomber to lose lift and control. The aircraft banked 80° to the left and crashed in a near vertical position onto several houses located short of runway. Among the 16 occupants, all four crew members and five passengers were killed, seven others were injured. On the ground, ten people were killed, among them six kids and two entire families.
Crew:
1st Lt Henry G. Oetgen, pilot, †
1st Lt Sophus Eddie Larsen, copilot, †
1st Lt Dominick J. Christopher, navigator, †
T/Sgt John M. Reilly, flight engineer, †
1st Lt Howard L. DeBoer, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Homer A. Pickrell, gunner, †
T/Sgt Fred Leard, †
A3c Donald J. Wagner, †
A2c Francis L. Murray, †
1st Lt Jack Patton,
A2c Robert L. Jensen,
A1c Donald C. Van Doren,
A1c William J. Backman,
A2c Nelson H. Graham,
A2c Roberto Duran,
A2c Walter R. Newby.
Those killed on the ground were:
Lt Col Benjamin L. Mills, his wife Agnes, and his three daughters Margaret 9, Helen 5, and Martha 2,
Maj Gerald A. Orken, his wife Shirley, his daughter Vivian 5, and son Steven 3,
Bonnie Kimball, 11, daughter of Cpt Stanley J. Kimball.
Source:
http://www.andersen.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/638565/60th-anniversary-of-the-worst-peacetime-accident-at-andersen/

En route from Kwajalein to the Johnston atoll, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and the captain decided to make an emergency landing into the ocean about 608 miles southwest of the Johnston atoll. The crew was rescued nine hours later and the Catalina was destroyed by gunfire and sank.

Shortly after takeoff from Barbers Point NAS, bound for Kadena via Kwajalein, the pilot informed ground that an engine failed and elected to return. ATC guided the crew to Hickam Field in Honolulu and eight minutes later, while on approach, the airplane overshot so the pilot-in-command decided to make a go around when control was lost. The airplane crashed in flames and skidded for about 600 yards before coming to rest in flames. Sixteen crew members were killed while four others were injured.

Crashed into the sea shortly after takeoff from the Kwajalein Atoll Airport. All 16 occupants were killed.

Water-looped on landing, hit a reef and sank. There were no casualties.

Shortly after takeoff from Agana-Harmon Field, in initial climb, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in flames about 2 km from the airport. All eight occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were good.
Crew:
S/Sgt Andrew G. Macro,
1st Lt John E. Schmidt 6.

The four engine aircraft left Guam Island on a flight to Honolulu with an intermediate stop in Kwajalein to refuel. At 1215LT, the crew reported his position at 11'15' N, 174'15' E, this was the last radio contact. The aircraft was lost into the ocean and no trace was ever found. There were on board senior staff that was flying to Honolulu to take part to a high command meeting about plans for the final assault of Japan.
Crew:
F/O James Roy Andersen,
M/Sgt Douglas O. Anderson,
T/Sgt Steve Geist,
T/Sgt Charles T. McInerney,
Pfc Arthur Ofner Jr.
1st Lt Jack M. West.
Passengers:
Lt Gen Millard Fillmore Harmon Jr.,
Col William Ball,
Maj Archibald Dean Anderson,
Maj Francis E. Savage.

Crashed on take off.