March AFB

While cruising in marginal weather conditions on a flight from Offutt AFB to March AFB, the airplane hit the slope of Mt San Gorgonio located about 29 miles northeast of March AFB. The wreckage was spotted few hours later and all 13 occupants have been killed. Four days later, a US Marine Corps' Sikorsky crashed in the same area while taking part to the rescue operations, killing two of its three crew members.

The crew was engaged in a training sortie from March AFB when the heavy bomber collided in unclear circumstances with a USN Vought F4U-4 Corsair registered 81218 from VMA-251 flying out from MCAS El Toro. The 4 plane Corsair formation was on a GCI and Camera Gunnery flight. Apparently they were asked by the B-29s to make head on gunnery passes. The first three Corsairs did so, but the fourth, piloted by 2nd Lt Joe K. Jensen did not. Following the collision, both aircraft crashed into the Pacific Ocean about 30 miles west of Oceanside. The pilot of the Corsair was killed as well as 11 crew members from the Superfortress, six other have been rescued.

While cruising by night at an insufficient height, the airplane hit the slope of a hill located in the region of Fairfiled, Solano County. The aircraft was destroyed and all three crew members were injured, one of them seriously.

While performing a routine training flight from March AFB, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and all 14 occupants were forced to abandon the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a desert area located 20 miles northeast of Desert Center. There were no injuries but the aircraft was destroyed.

While cruising at an altitude of 11,500 feet in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located west of Lee Vining. The wreckage was found on September 23, 1945. All three occupants have been killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Cargill L. Beach,
1st Lt Raymond Moore,
S/Sgt Jack E. Moran.

The airplane crashed for unknown reasons while taking off from March AFB. There were no casualties.
Crew:
Warren R. Gray.

The airplane was returning to its base at March AFB on a flight from Albuquerque, carrying seven people. While cruising in poor visibility due to fog and rain falls, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located about 10 km northeast of Beaumont. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all seven occupants were killed.
Crew:
John E. Overstreet +6.

While cruising over the San Jacinto Mountain Range, the crew encountered very poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity. The airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a wooded and hilly terrain located 3,5 miles northwest of Idyllwild. All six crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt John H. Turner, pilot,
2nd Lt Vernon Mathew McCauley +4.

On final approach to Edwards AFB (Muroc AAF), the twin engine aircraft crashed in the Muroc dry lake, few hundred yards short of runway. A passenger was seriously injured while six other occupants were killed.

While approaching March AFB, flying over the Tehachapi Mountain Range, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with high winds, sleet, snow, rain and icing. The pilot informed ground about his situation and requested rescue teams to stand by. Shortly later, the captain instructed the occupant to bail out when the airplane crashed into a hillside located near Pidgeon Pass, some 12 km north of March AFB and three km northeast of Riverside. Two passengers were found alive while four other occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
Lt Raymond M. Sumi, pilot, †
Lt Benjamin G. Holloway, copilot, †
Sgt Gerald D. Wilcox, †
Pvt Leonard E. Riley, †
Sgt Cecil Purvis,
Pvt Frank Carroll.