Date & Time:
Feb 22, 1957 at 1956 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-124 Globemaster II
Operator:
Registration:
51-0141
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Seoul – Tachikawa
MSN:
43475
YOM:
1951
Flight number:
MATS503
Country:
South Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
149
Pax fatalities:
19
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
22
Captain / Total hours on type:
6680
Copilot / Total hours on type:
67
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from runway 32 at Seoul-Gimpo Airport, while in initial climb, a propeller blade on the engine number three detached, struck the fuselage and penetrated the cabin, killing four passengers instantly. Doing so, the ailerons and rudder cables were cut. Before the crew would be able to shot down the engine number three and to feather its propeller, both other blades detached and struck the engine number four. The crew contacted ATC and received the permission for an emergency landing on runway 14. Shortly later, the airplane went out of control and crashed in flames in a canal located near the Han River, about 15 km north of the airport. 24 people were injured while 113 other were unhurt. Unfortunately, 22 occupants were killed, among them three crew member of which both pilots.
Those killed were:
Sp2 Francisco Aguilar,
Sp3 Eugene T. Arold,
2nd Lt Bruce E. Barstow,
Maj Ansel L. Boiter, pilot,
1st Lt Frederick L. Boudreau,
Pfc Stephen A. Bowcock,
Pfc Caldwell Brown Jr.,
Pfc Merle J. Brown,
Pfc J. L. Collaro-Gonzalez,
2nd Lt Edwin Harold Glass,
Pfc George A. Hills,
Gerald Junkroski,
Sp3 Avery L. Meeker,
Sgt Ralph Edward Myers,
Cpt Robert L. North, copilot,
Cpt Andrew L. Opiela,
Sfc Lewis P. Partin,
1st Lt Jack G. Stone,
Pfc Jan Martin Wallis,
1st Lt Paul B. Warner,
M/Sgt Joe Neal White,
Sfc Harry E. Witherell.
Those killed were:
Sp2 Francisco Aguilar,
Sp3 Eugene T. Arold,
2nd Lt Bruce E. Barstow,
Maj Ansel L. Boiter, pilot,
1st Lt Frederick L. Boudreau,
Pfc Stephen A. Bowcock,
Pfc Caldwell Brown Jr.,
Pfc Merle J. Brown,
Pfc J. L. Collaro-Gonzalez,
2nd Lt Edwin Harold Glass,
Pfc George A. Hills,
Gerald Junkroski,
Sp3 Avery L. Meeker,
Sgt Ralph Edward Myers,
Cpt Robert L. North, copilot,
Cpt Andrew L. Opiela,
Sfc Lewis P. Partin,
1st Lt Jack G. Stone,
Pfc Jan Martin Wallis,
1st Lt Paul B. Warner,
M/Sgt Joe Neal White,
Sfc Harry E. Witherell.
Probable cause:
Loss of a propeller blade on engine number three during initial climb.
