United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947)

The C-54G, assigned to the Military Air Transport Service (MATS), 1701st Air Transport Wing at Malmstrom Air Force Base (AFB), Great Falls, Montana, was inbound from Ladd AFB, Fairbanks, Alaska, carrying 32 American servicemen and their dependents, and a crew of seven. At 0030LT, the pilot, Captain Albert J. Fenton, radioed the McChord air traffic control tower for field conditions and was informed that visibility was approximately three-quarters of a mile. Captain Fenton was directed to execute a wide left-hand turn and descend for a ground-controlled landing from the south. As the aircraft neared the field, a thick fog bank, rising 300 feet high, suddenly developed, reducing visibility to near zero. At 0048LT, Captain Fenton, now on final approach, decided to abort the landing and radioed the control tower that he was proceeding to Malmstrom AFB instead. Minutes later, witnesses telephoned the control tower and the Pierce County Sheriff’s Department to report a downed aircraft. The Skymaster crashed into an open field (now Wards Lake Park) approximately one mile north of McChord AFB and one-half mile east of S Tacoma Way between S 84th and S 88th Streets in the unincorporated community of Lakewood. It barely missed the Edgewood Park apartments, 35 four-family units built to ease the military’s housing shortage during the Korean War (1950-1953), and other nearby homes. Several people who saw the accident said the Skymaster was on fire before it crashed. Upon impact, the aircraft broke in two and exploded into flames. Bodies, personal belongings, packages and luggage were scattered around the crash scene for 200 yards. Most of the fire was in the forward section of the fuselage, the tail and aft section remaining almost intact. Some witnesses said they could hear the cries of people caught in the burning wreckage, but were helpless to render assistance. Meanwhile, fire and rescue teams from McChord AFB, Lakewood, and Tacoma rushed to the crash site and extinguished the fires in the fuselage and scattered debris. Using magnesium flares and flashlights, police and sheriff’s officers, firemen, and military personnel searched the smoldering, twisted wreckage, looking for victims. Of the 39 people aboard the C-54G, they found only three survivors: Airman Bobby R. Wilson, age 20, a member of the plane’s crew, Airman Curtis Redd, age 23, and Joseph M. Iacovitti, age 8, both passengers. Wilson, who had third-degree burns, internal injuries, and multiple skull fractures, died at Pierce County Hospital on Saturday, November 29. Redd was taken to St. Joseph Hospital in Tacoma in critical conditions with third-degree burns, but survived. Iacovitti was taken to Pierce County Hospital in serious condition with burns, broken legs and a fractured neck. He lived through the ordeal, but his parents, two brothers, and a sister died in the mishap, leaving him an orphan and the only surviving member of his family. Three other families were wiped out entirely.
Crew:
Benedict, John H., 20, Airman Second Class
Bentley, Patricia, 24, Airman Third Class
Bokinsky, Joseph H., 24, Staff Sergeant
Childers, Wilber C., 21, Airman Second Class
Fenton, Albert J., 29, Captain, pilot
Harvey, James D., 27, First Lieutenant, copilot
Wilson, Bobby R., 20, Airman Third Class.
Passengers:
U.S. Army:
Coons, Robert F., 22, Corporal
Galloway, Calvin, 18, Private First Class
Hockenberry, Denny L., 22, Sergeant
Hockenberry, Elda M., 21, spouse
Hockenberry, Susan E., 2, daughter
Hockenberry, Denise M., 1, daughter
Lebonitte, Joseph T., 23, Private First Class
Zeravich,Christoph, 24, Corporal
U.S. Air Force
Alsbury, Jack R., 21, Airman Third Class
Cook, Robert H., 20, Airman First Class
Farley, Donna L., 20, (spouse of Farley, Glen D., Staff Sergeant)
Iacovitti, Anthony R., First Lieutenant
Iacovitti, Dorothy E., 31, spouse
Iacovitti, Anthony F., 6, son
Iacovitti, John A., 4, son
Iacovitti, Barbara, 2, daughter
Johnson, Dwight P., 23, Airman Second Class
Morris, George E., 33, Master Sergeant
Morris, Anna D., 28, spouse
Morris, George E., Jr., 3, son
Morris, Geraldine A., 5, daughter
Niemi, Edwin, 35, Staff Sergeant
Parlett, Frederick D., 18, Basic Airman
Pickerel, Robert L., 22, Airman First Class
Smith, Raymond D., 24, Staff Sergeant
Swang, Marion E., 41, Major [incorrectly listed as Swann]
Weikum, Elmer, 23, Airman Second Class
Wells, Samuel R., 35, Master Sergeant
Wells, Margaret A., 33, spouse
Wells, Samuel R. III, 3, son
Survivors
Iacovitti, Joseph M., 8, (son of Dorothy and Anthony Iacovitti)
Redd, Curtis, 23, Airman Second Class.
Source:
http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/airplane_crashes/c54_tacoma_19521128/p_c54_tacoma_11_28_52.htm

The crew was engaged in a local test flight out of the Phillips AAF. In flight, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane after an engine failed. The aircraft crashed into the Bush River off Edgewood and was lost. All four crew members were killed.

The four engine aircraft was completing a flight from McChord AFB to Elmendorf AFB, carrying 41 passengers and a crew of 11. En route, the crew was informed about strong winds gusting up to 40 knots from the west. While cruising by night and marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Gannett (9'650 feet high) located about 53 miles east of Elmendorf. As the airplane failed to arrive, SAR operations were conducted but due to poor weather conditions, first rescuers arrived on scene six days later only, on November 28. The wreckage was found on the Surprise Glacier, about 1,000 feet below the summit. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 52 occupants were killed. On June 9, 2012, some debris were found and on June 28, 2012, the wreckage was spotted again. Two years later, on June 18, 2014, the remains of 17 of the victims were identified and returned to their respectives families for burial.

Following a bombing mission over North Korea, the heavy bomber was returning to its base in Kadena when it was attacked by few Soviet AF MiG-15. Out of control, the aircraft went into a dive and two occupants were able to bail out before it crashed into the sea about eight km north of the Ch'o-do Island. Twelve crew members were killed and two others were rescued.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert J. Bird, †
T/Sgt Morton H. Jensen, †
Maj Kassel M. Keene, †
A2c Robert J. McLoughlin, †
A2c James L. Nichols, †
1st Lt James K. Peck, †
A1c James H. Porter, †
Maj William F. Sawyer,
2nd Lt Myron F. Sestak, †
1st Lt Beverly A. Swingle, †
S/Sgt Raymond Thompson, †
M/Sgt Horace N. Tiller, †
S/Sgt William H. Whitman, †
1st Lt Allan R. Winchester.

While cruising at an altitude of 9,000 feet on a flight from Edmonton to Denver, the crew encountered technical problems with the left engine. A propeller blade detached and hit the fuselage. Shortly later, the engine suffered severe vibrations and later detached from its mount. In such conditions, the crew decided to reduce his altitude and attempted an emergency landing. The aircraft crash landed in a field located 12 miles east of Billings, hit a ditch and came to rest in flames. Eight occupants were killed while eight others were injured.

Shortly after takeoff from Gangneung Airport, while in initial climb, the airplane crashed into the sea. Seven occupants were rescued while eleven other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Roy Anthony, †
Pfc Leroy Crowell,
1st Lt Charles W. Difalco,
2nd Lt John B. Emerson,
S/Sgt Sigurd L. Erlandsen,
A3c Alonzo J. Haugh Jr., †
A1c Lewis J. Holmes,
T/Sgt Raymond H. Johnson, †
W/O Jung Pyun Kim, †
A2c Duane W. Larson, †
A2c James C. Newell, †
A2c William H. Pate, †
1st Lt Vaughn D. Prunier, †
A2c Gary Richard,
A3c Terumi Shoda,
A2c Luke J. Tucker Jr., †
A2c Clifton N. Watson, †
Maj William P. Windus Jr. †

The crew was performing a flight from Kodiak to Elmendorf AFB, taking part to the 'Warmwind' exercice. En route, the airplane disappeared in unclear circumstances. As it failed to arrive in Elmendorf, extensive SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended a month later as no trace of the aircraft nor the 20 occupants was found.

While descending to Seongnam AFB in marginal weather conditions, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a dense wooded area located in a mountainous area, about 30 km east of Seoul. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 44 occupants have been killed. At the time of the accident, weather conditions consisted of an horizontal visibility of 11 km with a cloud base at 3,000 feet.
Crew:
Cwo Alfred H. Auger,
Pfc Robert J. Beachy,
A1c Leroy J. Beer,
Sgt Francis C. Berger,
Pfc Gilberto A. Berrios,
Cpl Antonio Calaustro,
Cpl William E. Clark,
Pfc C. Concepcion-Esquilio,
Cpl Patrick E. Connolly,
Pfc Delbert Coulam,
Cpl Donald D. Drinnen,
Sfc Albert W. Dzinwkowski,
Cpl James A. Flory,
Pfc Lloyd O. Fogt,
A2c Marvin L. Gainey,
Cpl Frank. Gfroerer,
Cpl Thomas E. Giglio,
Cpl John W. Hanlon,
M/Sgt Arthur J. Holland,
Sgt Robert W. Irwin,
Pfc Robert H. Koehler,
Pfc Leon Letts Jr.,
S/Sgt Ray W. Mansholt,
Pfc Bronson J. Mastne,
Sgt Richard L. Menninger,
Pfc Erling P. Miller,
2nd Lt John C. Mortensen,
Cpt William C. Moskosky Sr.,
Pfc Billy G. Mouney,
Sgt Donald R. Northrup,
Pfc Byron H. Pittman,
Pfc Lovell E. Prater,
Pvt Juan Rivera-Gonzales,
Pfc Juan Rivera-Gonzales,
Pfc Raul Rosalez,
Cpt Robert L. Schenck,
SGt Arthur J. Scowcraft,
Pfc Eugene R. Serra,
Sgt Ray A. Shepherd,
Pfc Freelan Shrewsbury,
S/Sgt Thaddeus L. Smith Jr.,
Sgt John C. Stauch Sr.,
Sgt Harry N. Tsuruoka,
Cpl John H. Williams.

While in a night interdiction mission, the crew made his last radio contact at 0015LT. The twin engine aircraft disappeared from radar screens at 0032LT after being apparently shot down by enemy fire. A crew member became POW while three others were killed.
Crew:
A3c John C. Brennan, †
1st Lt Edward S. Guthrie Jr., †
1st Lt Ralph A. Neis, †
1st Lt Andrew W. Schmidt.

While overflying North Korea by night on a bombing mission, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet AF MiG-15 fighter (pilot Major Anatoly Karelin). The heavy bomber went out of control and into a dive during which three crew members were able to bail out. They were found alive a day later and became POW. All nine other occupants were killed in the crash.
Crew:
1st Lt Emmett O. Evans, †
1st Lt James W. Fleming Jr., †
Cpt Fred H. Garrison, †
A1c Franklin H. Hall,
T/Sgt Keith E. Hammon, †
1st Lt Charles M. Hill Jr.,
S/Sgt Wayne F. Jensen, †
A1c Robert P. Kelleher, †
1st Lt Charles F. Kirk, †
A1c Clyde E. Schluter,
A2c Warren W. Schmitt, †
Cpt Norman W. Schneidt, †