Region
North America
code

USA

Crash of a Martin PBM-5 Mariner off Kahuku: 11 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
59077
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Kaneohe - Kaneohe
MSN:
59077
Location:
Kaneohe Bay NAS
Hawaii
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
While cruising off Oahu Island, the crew encountered an engine failure and lost control of the seaplane that crashed into the sea some 13 miles off Kahuku. All 11 crew members were killed.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-55-CK Commando near Slater: 2 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
43-47184
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Sedalia - Sedalia
MSN:
255
YOM:
1945
Location:
Slater
Missouri
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
While performing a local training mission from Sedalia AFB, the crew lost control of the aircraft that crashed and burnt in a field located 5 miles north of Slater. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Roger J. Bernard,
Maj Thomas L. White.

Crash of a Douglas C-54A-15-DC Skymaster off Rock Harbor: 5 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
42-72264
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Homestead - Homestead
MSN:
10369
YOM:
1944
Location:
Key Largo
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While cruising off Key Largo, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea off Rock Harbor. The wreckage was found a day later into 19 feet of water, 4 miles offshore. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Richard C. Dayton,
Cpt Paul F. McMurdy,
T/Sgt Bernard A. O'Donnell,
Maj Sumner H. Reeder,
Cpl Leonard B. Schafer.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-35-DL near Cold Bay: 3 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-23867
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Elmendorf – Adak
MSN:
9729
YOM:
1943
Location:
Cold Bay
Alaska
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
Enroute from Elmendorf AFB to Adak Island NAS, the aircraft hit a snow covered mountain located in the Cathedral Valley, west off the Mt Pavlof Volcano, some 32 miles northeast of Cold Bay. Both passengers and a crew member were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Joseph R. Alexander, pilot,
2nd Lt Richard L. Cocanour, copilot,
Sgt Paul Sundermier, flight engineer,
Sgt Robert E. Davidson, radio operator. †
Passengers:
Lt Col Stephen G. Davison, †
2nd Lt Ernest T. Johnson. †

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-DL in Lee Vining: 3 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-30676
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
March - Shafter
MSN:
13827
YOM:
1943
Location:
Lee Vining
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
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.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 in San Carlos: 7 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
17228
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
San Pedro - Alameda
MSN:
13379
YOM:
1944
Location:
San Carlos
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
20
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane departed San Pedro-Catalina NAS (Long Beach) on a flight to Alameda NAS in Oakland, carrying 20 passengers and a crew of three. The descent was initiated at night when the crew encountered limited visibility due to poor weather conditions. Following an unsuccessful landing, the crew followed a missed approach procedure when he got apparently lost. The airplane impacted the slope of a hill and crashed at an altitude of 630 feet about two miles west of San Carlos. All three crew members were killed as well as four passengers. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were poor with heavy rain falls, clouds down to 500 feet and visibility less than three miles.
Crew:
Lt William Karlick, pilot,
Ens Clois Holmes Jr., copilot,
Robert A. Trout, flight engineer.
Passengers:
LCdr Robert H. Allen,
LCdr John Brahtz,
S1C Richard Johnston,
Victor Salazar Jr.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan near Williamstown: 7 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan
Operator:
Registration:
42-37270
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Eglin - Louisville
MSN:
3793
YOM:
1943
Location:
Williamstown
West Virginia
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The twin engine airplane departed Eglin AFB (Valparaiso, Florida), on a flight to Louisville, Kentucky, carrying seven crew members. En route, the pilot encountered engine problems and elected to divert to Wood County Airport when the airplane crashed in a ravine. The airplane was destroyed and all seven occupants were killed.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47C near Freer: 6 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
41-18582
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
4707
YOM:
1942
Location:
Freer
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The crew left Greenwood AFB, Mississippi, in the evening of March 12 on a night navigation exercise. Enroute, the pilot encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm activity and turbulence. He tried to find his way when he lost control of the aircraft that dove into the ground and crashed in a wooded area located about 6 miles northeast of Freer. The wreckage was found eleven days later, on march 24. All six occupants have been killed.
Crew:
S/Sgt Milton Luverne Grams,
F/O Leon L. Hendren,
S/Sgt Paul F. Mason,
F/O James Dewey Mitchell,
F/O Walter J. Mullen,
Cpl Morton N. Sax.

Crash of a Douglas DC-3 Dakota IV on Mt Pinos: 5 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
KN345
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Biggs - Sacramento
MSN:
15913/32661
YOM:
1945
Location:
Lebec
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The aircraft was performing a flight from Biggs AFB, El Paso, to Sacramento, California. While cruising by night in stormy weather, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed on the Mt Pinos located some 14 miles west of Lebec. All five occupants were killed. The wreckage was found by walkers on 13MAY1945 only.
Crew:
Peter Antrobus, pilot
Floyd E. George, copilot
Frank S. Holmes, navigator
Edward Watkins, radio operator
Passenger:
Max K. Nelson.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-5-LO LodeStar in Wright-Patterson AFB: 8 killed

Date & Time:
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed C-60 LodeStar
Operator:
Registration:
42-55962
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Test
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Wright-Patterson - Wright-Patterson
MSN:
2399
YOM:
1943
Location:
Wright-Patterson AFB (Dayton)
Ohio
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a test flight at Wright-Patterson AFB. Shortly after takeoff, in initial climb, the twin engine aircraft went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion in a hangar. Many explosions occurred, the hangar was destroyed as well as several aircraft, including a Consolidated B-32 Dominator registered 42-10873, a Douglas C-47A-10-DL registered 42-23357 and a Boeing B-29 Superfortress registered 42-63598. All three crew members and five employees in the hangar were killed in the accident.
Those killed were:
1st Lt Elwin I. Brawner Jr.,
Pfc Eugene L. Fisher,
2nd Lt Robert E. Jackson,
Pfc John L. Ravegum,
Pvt Browder A. Richmond,
T/Sgt Russel P. Schryer,
Sgt Albert B. Weathers,
Sgt William W. Wilson.
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