Crash of a Douglas C-47A-10-DL near Caddo Gap: 3 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1943 at 0320 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-23359
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Grenada - Nashville
MSN:
9221
YOM:
1943
Location:
Caddo Gap
Arkansas
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:
En route, while cruising by night, the crew encountered poor weather conditions and attempted to climb when, at an altitude of 1,900 feet, the aircraft hit a hill located 3,5 miles northeast of Caddo Gap. All three crew members were killed. The accident occurred in stormy weather with strong turbulence.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles F. Leidel,
2nd Lt Howard R. Omundsen,
Pfc Dale B. Watts.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D Skytrooper in Alliance: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1943 at 0059 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-68788
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Alliance - Scottsbluff
MSN:
11715
YOM:
1943
Location:
Alliance
Nebraska
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:
Shortly after take off from Alliance AFB, the aircraft banked left and right, causing both wings to touch the ground. Out of control, the aircraft crashed in a huge explosion and was destroyed. Both pilots were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Robert G. Bartels,
2nd Lt William Cardie.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL into the Brahmaputra River: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 29, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
41-19464
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
6107
YOM:
1942
Location:
Assam State
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances into the Brahmaputra River, killing at least one crew member, William A. Pouncey.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-CU near Lovelock: 1 killed

Date & Time: Sep 28, 1943 at 2245 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-5170
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Salt Lake City - Reno
MSN:
26372
YOM:
1942
Location:
Lovelock
Nevada
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
10
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 14,000 feet, the right engine failed and the fuel pressure decreased. The crew attempted to restart the right engine without success and pilots were unable to feather the propeller. Due to high drag, the aircraft lost height and at an altitude of 8,000 feet, all occupants decided to bail out as the minimum safe altitude for the region was set at 9,000 feet. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed in a valley near Lovelock. Fourteen occupants were found alive while one crew member (Pfc George E. Johnson) was killed as his parachute did not open properly.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman near Poorman

Date & Time: Sep 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Noorduyn Norseman
Operator:
Registration:
43-5117
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
108
YOM:
1943
Location:
Poorman
Alaska
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine failed due to fuel exhaustion. The pilot decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. Out of control, the aircraft dove into the ground and crashed some 45 miles south of Ruby, near Poorman.
Probable cause:
Engine failure caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of an Airspeed AS.10 Oxford I in Reggio de Calabre

Date & Time: Sep 25, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Airspeed AS.10 Oxford
Operator:
Registration:
L4661
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Location:
Reggio de Calabre
Calabria
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew was forced to complete an emergency landing for unknown reason. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair, both occupants were unhurt.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46A-10-CU Commando in McCloud: 5 killed

Date & Time: Sep 23, 1943 at 2345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Curtiss C-46 Commando
Operator:
Registration:
41-12356
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
McClellan - Seattle
MSN:
26483
YOM:
1943
Location:
McCloud
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
2
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
In the evening, the crew left McClellan AFB, near Sacramento, on a routine flight to Seattle, Washington. After take off, the pilot completed a circuit over the airport to reach the assigned altitude of 16,500 feet and reduced the engine power to 2,300 RPM. After few minutes, the right engine failed, followed shortly later by the left engine. A crew member was able to bail out before the aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a huge explosion. All five occupants were killed while the sixth was found alive.
Crew:
Cpt Marvin E. Bradley,
Cpl Robert E. Delmar,
2nd Lt Christopher P. Gadsden Jr.,
2nd Lt Joe F. Welch.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D-DO Skytrooper in Calcutta: 20 killed

Date & Time: Sep 22, 1943 at 0600 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-6471
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
4923
YOM:
1942
Location:
Calcutta
West Bengal
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
20
Circumstances:
After rotation from Calcutta-Dum Dum Airport, the aircraft encountered problem to gain height when it hit tree tops and crashed in flames in a wooded area located 1,200 meters past the runway end. All twenty occupants were killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions were as follow: ceiling at 2,000 feet, horizontal visibility estimated at 11 km and light wind.
Crew:
1st Lt Dale Johnson,
2nd Lt Jasper A. Lagattuta,
1st Lt Kermit R. Peasley.

Crash of a Douglas C-53D Skytrooper in Maxton AFB: 25 killed

Date & Time: Sep 20, 1943 at 0849 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-68729
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
Maxton - Godman
MSN:
11656
YOM:
1943
Location:
Maxton AFB
North Carolina
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
25
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from Laurinburg-Maxton AFB to Godman AFB located near Louisville, Kentucky. Shortly after take off, while climbing at a height of 300 feet, the pilot saw in front of him another Douglas C-53 towing a glider. To avoid any collision, the captain turn sharply to the left but the evasive action was too strong, so the aircraft entered a spin and crashed in a huge explosion. All 25 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Paul Wideman Arthaud,
Pvt Joseph John Bacon,
Pfc Fred Balkin,
Tec Edith M. Ballenger,
2nd Lt William Howard Brownholtz,
Cpt Roland B. Cooper,
Pfc Howard W. DeTers,
Cpl Betty Walker Driskill,
F/O Charles Gorman Dunckle,
Sgt Leonard James Gougeon,
1st Lt John L. Jones,
1st Lt John Lester Kennedy,
S/Sgt F. R. McIntyre,
Pvt Alvin Leroy Montgomery,
2nd Lt Frank William Nellis,
Cpl Albert Edward Nies,
2nd Lt John F. Reynolds,
Cpt William Holan Roberts,
Cpl Ray O. Roby,
1st Lt Ralph Gerald Roiland,
Pfc Melvin Schoenberg,
2nd Lt J. E. Walsh,
2nd Lt Martha Rosella Webb,
Sgt George L. West,
2nd Lt Robert Gifford White.
Probable cause:
Loss of control caused by an evasive action on take off.

Crash of a Caudron C.635 Simoun into the Vättern Lake: 2 killed

Date & Time: Sep 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Caudron C.630/C.635 Simoun
Operator:
Registration:
SE-AKZ
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Jönköping - Jönköping
MSN:
8825.569
YOM:
1938
Location:
Vättern Lake
Östergötland
Country:
Sweden
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a practice mission over Vättern Lake and the aircraft was towing a target for an anti-aircraft battery exercise. During a turn, the elevator was blocked by the towed wire and the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Vättern Lake, about 60 km northeast of Jönköping and sank by a deep of 90 meters. Both crew members were killed.
Crew:
John Martinsson, pilot,
Karl Arne Glinge, mechanic.
Probable cause:
Elevator jammed by a towed cable in flight.
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