McChord AFB

The aircraft departed McChord AFB on an air refuelling mission over Montana. While cruising at an altitude of 25,000 feet by night, the aircraft collided under unknown circumstances with a second USAF Lockheed C-141B-LM Starlifter registered 66-0142, carrying six crew members and taking part to the same mission. Both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, disintegrated in the air and crashed about 14 km north of Harlem. All 13 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

The aircraft departed McChord AFB on an air refuelling mission over Montana. While cruising at an altitude of 25,000 feet by night, the aircraft collided under unknown circumstances with a second USAF Lockheed C-141B-LM Starlifter registered 65-0255, carrying seven crew members and taking part to the same mission. Both aircraft entered an uncontrolled descent, disintegrated in the air and crashed about 14 km north of Harlem. All 13 occupants in both aircraft were killed.

The airplane was conducting a flight from Clark AFB, Philippines, to McChord AFB with intermediate stops at Kadena AFB, Okinawa, and Yokota AFB, Tokyo, carrying 16 people among them six marines. En route to McChord, while cruising by night, the crew established contact with ATC and was cleared to descend from FL370 to FL150 then FL100. Few minutes later, after confusing the C-141 with another Navy aircraft, the air traffic controller cleared the crew to descent to 5,000 feet which was a too low altitude for the area. While descending at an altitude of 7,000 feet in limited visibility, the four engine airplane struck the slope of Mt Constance (7,756 feet high) located in the Olympic National Park, about 52 miles northwest of McChord AFB. The airplane impacted the mountain about 150 feet below the summit and caused an avalanche. Debris were found scattered on a wide area and none of the 16 occupants survived the crash.

In limited visibility, the crew started the descent to Cold Bay when the four engine aircraft struck the slope of the Pavlof Volcano located 36 miles northeast of Cold Bay. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all seven crew members were killed. The airplane was inbound from McChord AFB, carrying seven tons of satellite observation equipment for use with the Optical Satellite Observing System. It is believed that the crew started the descent prematurely.

The aircraft was on a routine flight from McChord AFB to California. At liftoff, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances. Eight occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed. Both pilots and two passengers were killed.
Crew:
Lt Col Robert E. Walker, pilot, †
Cpt Peter Michael Cunningham, copilot, †
T/Sgt Donald G. Love, flight engineer. †
Passengers:
1st Lt Joseph R. Baxter, †
M/Sgt William B. Johnston,
Lt Col Jack S. McKinley,
Sgt William D. Wallace,
T/Sgt Billy D. Byrd,
Sgt Charles L. Andrews,
PO2C Charles B. Nichols,
PO3C Darrell E. Calentine,
M/Sgt Granville Hicks.

On 7 September, 1966, 65-0281 was the first C-141 destroyed. It blew up while simultaneous hazardous maintenance procedures were being performed. Three maintenance members were killed in an explosion of the Right Extended Range tank. The Wing at McChord had recently converted to the StarLifter. The first aircraft had arrived on 9 August 1966. This aircraft, 65-0281, was the third C-141 to be stationed at McChord, and had arrived on base just a week before, on 29 August, 1966. The maintenance teams had minimal practical experience with the new airplane. It was having multiple maintenance difficulties. The Right Extended Range Tank feel gage was erratic, and the AC "Power On" Light was inop. Two electricians were in the cockpit working on the "Power On" Light. A Maintenance Team Chief was also in the cockpit with three trainees. In addition, he was supervising a maintenance team on another aircraft. The Assistant Team Chief had started de-fueling the Right Extended Range Tank to prepare it for troubleshooting. The other fuel tanks were full. Two additional technicians arrived to work on the fuel gage before the de-fueling was complete. One of the electrical technicians connected testing equipment to the fuel tank but failed to ground it. The other technician plugged an extension cord into the external 115V AC receptacle of the APU. The live extension cord apparently came in contact with the case of the test equipment. Electricity flowed through the case, up the cables into the tank. Due to a short in the coaxial shielding a spark was created within the nearly empty tank. The right wing exploded. The Assistant Team Chief standing under the wing, and the technician on the wing were killed almost immediately. One of the technicians in the cockpit was badly burned while exiting the right troop door into a burning pool of JP-4. He died a few days later. The others on the aircraft received only minor injuries.
Source:
http://www.c141heaven.info/dotcom/65/pic_65_0281.php

A Northwest Airlines, Inc., Douglas DC-7C, N290 MATS charter Flight 293, crashed in the north Pacific Ocean approximately 116 nautical miles west-southwest of Annette Island, Alaska, at approximately 1816 G.m.t., June 3, 1963. The flight departed McChord AFB, Washington, for Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, carrying 95 passengers and a crew of 6. The passenger list included military personnel, dependents, Department of Defense employees and a Red Cross employee. All occupants of the aircraft were lost at sea and the aircraft was destroyed. The aircraft had been airborne approximately 2 hours and 35 minutes when radio contact was lost. No difficulties were reported by the crew prior to this time. The wreckage was sighted by a Royal Canadian Air Force aircraft at 0322 C.m.t., June 4, 1963, at 54 degrees 21' N - 134 degrees 39' W but no survivors were observed. Approximately 1,500 pounds of floating aircraft wreckage was recovered.

Zantop Air Transport, Inc., LOGAIR Flight 60-16 (VK060), a Curtiss C-40F, N616Z, crashed following an attempt to land on runway 17 at Thun Field, near Puyallup, Washington, at 1826 P.s.t., February 16, 1963. Both crew members survived the crash but were severely injured. There were no other occupants. The aircraft was destroyed by the impact and post-impact fire. An engine malfunction seven minutes after takeoff from McChord AFB, Washington, was followed by an unsuccessful attempt to feather the propeller and by intermittent overspeeding. During an attempted go-around from the landing approach the pilot lost control of the aircraft and crashed in a pasture approximately one-half tile northeast of Thun Field.

A Northwest Airlines DC-7CF, N285, was ditched near Biorka Island, Sitka Sound, Alaska, on October 22, 1962, about 2052 G.m.t. All 95 passengers and 7 crew members successfully evacuated and were quickly rescued. No serious injuries were reported. The flight was operating as Military Air Transport Charter Flight No. 293 en route from McChord Air Force Base, Tacoma, Washington, to Elmendorf AFB, Anchorage, Alaska. While cruising at an altitude of 20,000 feet No. 2 engine lost power. Remedial measures failed, the propeller oversped and the engine seized. Attempts at feathering failed and the flight radioed a declaration of emergency and started descent toward Sitka Sound, Alaska. Other futile attempts were made to feather as the No. 2 engine became dangerously hot and shed parts. The captain elected to ditch. Passengers were moved aft and away from the plane of rotation of No. 2 propeller, crew members issued ditching instructions, and occupants and flotation gear were readied. The aircraft was put down skillfully under favorable conditions of weather and sea during daylight, and all occupants were quickly in liferafts. Previously alerted marine craft were nearby and took all hands aboard. Amphibious rescue aircraft were also close by. The aircraft sank in water 250 feet deep in about 24 minutes.

The C-119 took off from Whitehorse, following another Flying Boxcar, only minutes before the crash. Both were headed for McChord AFB, Washington, on a flight from Elmendorf to Ellington AFB, Texas. The planes and crewmen were returning home after participating in operation 'King Crab II', a joint armed forces maneuver held on Kodiak Island last week-end. The entire 446th troop carrier wing [reserve] from Ellington came to participate in the exercises. During initial climb, an unexpected situation forced five crew members to bail out. Few seconds later, the airplane dove into the ground and crashed 17 miles south of Whitehorse. Three men were found alive while the five occupants of the airplane and two parachutists were killed.