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

Date & Time: May 3, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
42-100560
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
19023
YOM:
1943
Country:
Region:
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 Boeing B-29A-35-BN Superfortress off Tarpon Springs: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-61538
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
McDill - McDill
MSN:
11015
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a low level target exercice when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the gulf of Mexico, about 27 miles west-northwest of Tarpon Springs. Seven crew members were killed while seven others were rescued.

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

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
49-0173
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
10410
YOM:
1949
Country:
Region:
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-80-DL off Incheon: 8 killed

Date & Time: Apr 29, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
43-15379
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Seoul - Ch'o-do Island
MSN:
19845
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances off Incheon, South Korea, killing all eight crew members. They were taking part to the evacuation of US wounded soldiers.
Crew:
1st Lt Francis P. Burns,
1st Lt Donn H. Haugen,
Cpt Richard E. Hines,
Cpt Frederick S. Kelley,
S/Sgt Albert C. May,
A1C Calvin G. Sandrock Jr.,
1st Lt Frank F. Sherman,
1st Lt Benjamin H. Woodruff Jr.

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

Date & Time: Apr 21, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
43-48069
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
MSN:
13885/25330
YOM:
1944
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 A-26B-45-DL Invader off Gunsan: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 19, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-34098
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Gunsan - Gunsan
MSN:
27377
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from runway 24 at Gunsan AFB, while climbing, the aircraft stalled and crashed into the sea about a mile off shore. Two crew members were killed while two others were rescued.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles M. Familia, †
1st LT James B. Gorral Jr.,
1st Lt William F. McMurry, †
2nd Lt Wallace D. Stewart.
Probable cause:
It is believed that the loss of control was caused by an engine failure.

Crash of a Convair B-36B-10-CF Peacemaker in Fairchild AFB: 15 killed

Date & Time: Apr 15, 1952 at 0345 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-92050
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Fairchild - Fairchild
MSN:
47
YOM:
1946
Crew on board:
17
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a routine training flight and the plane was scheduled to conduct seven practice bomb runs at the Yakima Firing Center in Yakima County. During the takeoff roll from runway 23, the six engine aircraft encountered difficulties to rotate, overran and eventually rotated 520 feet past the runway end. The airplane climbed to a height of 50 feet then nosed down and crashed in a huge explosion in a field 3,314 feet past the runway end and 75 feet on the right of the extended center line. Two crew members were seriously injured while 15 others were killed. The aircraft was totally destroyed. The pilot was also in command of another B-36 registered 44-92080 that crashed at Fairchild AFB last January 29.
Crew:
Cpt Cecil F. Alldredge, pilot, †
Cpt John Q. Boyd, †
T/Sgt Francis J. Brozowski, †
S/Sgt Martin Gordon Cohn, †
Cpt John E. Daly, †
S/Sgt Earl K. Davis, †
1st Lt Melvin H. Emley, †
S/Sgt John C. Gafford, †
Cpt Arthur L. Hulshizer, †
2nd Lt John J. Knaub, †
A2c Wilbur W. Knox Jr., †
1st Lt Herbert D. Merman, †
Cpt Albert E. Nelson, †
Cpt Earl G. Soderbeck, †
A1c Charles E. Sykora Jr., †
A2c James Breedlove,
M/Sgt Walter L. Campbell.
Probable cause:
The Air Force Board of Inquiry determined the crash was caused by pilot error. During the maximum-weight takeoff, the pilots apparently discovered that the elevator trim was set incorrectly, keeping the plane’s nose down. Rather than abort, Captain Cecil F. Alldredge, the aircraft commander, made the decision to continue, confident the trim could be corrected during the takeoff roll. The corrective action, however, came too late, and the pilots lost control. The plane continued on the ground 520 feet past the end of runway 23 before becoming briefly airborne. After reaching an altitude of approximately 50 feet, the aircraft struck the ground 75 feet to the right and 3,314 feet past the end of the runway and tore through the airfield perimeter fence, coming to rest 450 feet off the base. The debris field extended an additional 1,000 feet.

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

Date & Time: Apr 9, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
42-93809
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Otis – Niagara Falls
MSN:
13762
YOM:
1944
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
Operator:
Registration:
44-31015
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
Denver – Kansas City
MSN:
108-34290
YOM:
1944
Location:
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:
Operator:
Registration:
44-34601
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
27880
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
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.