Crash of a Martin PBM-5G Mariner off Port Angeles: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 27, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Martin PBM Mariner
Operator:
Registration:
84740
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Port Angeles – Prince Rupert
MSN:
84740
YOM:
1945
Location:
Port Angeles
Washington
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Port Angeles, while climbing to a height of 250 feet, the seaplane stalled and crashed into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Lt Jg R. J. Tomozer,
AL1 B. Moore,
AL2 B. E. Woodard,
T/Sgt H. P. Colbeck.

Crash of a Douglas C-47B Dakota III in Frobisher Bay

Date & Time: May 6, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
980
Flight Type:
Military
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
15199/26644
YOM:
1944
Location:
Frobisher Bay
Nunavut
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances in Frobisher Bay, NWT (now Iqaluit, Nunavut).

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-65-DL in Middelkerke

Date & Time: May 3, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-100560
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
19023
YOM:
1943
Location:
Ostend
West Flanders
Country:
Belgium
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Ostend, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed on a beach located in Middelkerke, about 3 km from the airfield. The aircraft was written off and all six occupants were injured, some of them seriously.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119C-16-FA Flying Boxcar in Ashiya AFB: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar
Operator:
Registration:
49-0173
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
10410
YOM:
1949
Location:
Ashiya AFB
Kyūshū
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
On final approach completed by night, the aircraft was too low and hit a ridge, killing all four crew members.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-30-DK in Merrill Pass: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-48069
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
13885/25330
YOM:
1944
Location:
Merrill Pass
Alaska
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:
Crashed in unknown circumstances near Merrill Pass, about 110 miles west of Anchorage. All five crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas VC-47A near Otis AFB: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-93809
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Otis – Niagara Falls
MSN:
13762
YOM:
1944
Location:
Otis AFB
Massachusetts
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Otis AFB, while climbing in clouds at an altitude between 6,000 and 7,000 feet, the VC-47 collided with a USAF Lockheed F-94B Starfire registered 51-5407 and carrying a crew of two. Both airplanes went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located few miles from the airbase. All 12 crew members on both aircraft were killed. It appears that the collision occurred while both aircraft were flying in clouds and each crew failed to see each other.
Douglas VC-47A crew:
Lt Col William C. Bryson,
Maj Benjamin C. Beckman,
Maj Leland A. Berg,
Cpt Lane S. Hendricks,
Cpt Clifton Foster,
Cpt Richard E. Heder,
Cpt William H. Erwin,
T/Sgt William D. Pollock,
T/Sgt Deane B. Cooper,
Afc Harry E. Hardesty.
Lockheed F-94B Starfire crew:
Cpt Charles E. Smoke, pilot,
1st Lt Thaddeus C. Kulpinski, radar observer.

Crash of a North American TB-25J-30-NC Mitchell near Golden: 11 killed

Date & Time: Apr 8, 1952
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
44-31015
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Denver – Kansas City
MSN:
108-34290
YOM:
1944
Location:
Golden
Colorado
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
8
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
Few minutes after takeoff from Denver, bound for Kansas City, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located 8 miles northwest of Golden. The aircraft was destroyed and all 11 occupants were killed. For unknown reason, the crew was flying to the west straight on to the Rocky Mountains instead to the east to Kansas City.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-61-DL Invader near Pyongyang-Sunan: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1952 at 0005 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-26 Invader
Operator:
Registration:
44-34601
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
27880
YOM:
1944
Location:
Pyongyang-Sunan
Pyongyang (평양)
Country:
North Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
While on a night intruder mission between Pyongyang and Sinanju, the crew made his last radio transmission at 2353LT on April 6. The twin engine aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances shortly past midnight in the region of the Sunan Airport. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.
Crew:
A1c Spencer R. Cooper Jr.,
Cpt Cornelius P. Guilfoyle,
1st Lt Scott A. Holz,
1st Lt Joseph S. Long Jr.,
1st Gilbert J. Schauer.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-50-DL in Beirut: 1 killed

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-24181
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
10043
YOM:
1943
Location:
Beirut
Beirut Governorate
Country:
Lebanon
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Beirut Airport, the aircraft crashed in unknown circumstances in Choueifat, about 2 km east of the airfield. At least one crew member was killed in the accident.

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 on Mt Loma Prieta: 4 killed

Date & Time: Apr 6, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
17207
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
13107
YOM:
1944
Location:
Mt Loma Prieta
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft hit power cables and crashed on the slope of Mt Loma Prieta (3,786 feet high) located about 15 miles south of San José. The aircraft was destroyed upon impact and all four crew members were killed. At the time of the accident, the visibility was poor.
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