Crash of a Boeing B-29-60-BW Superfortress off Kaesŏng: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-69803
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
10635
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
En route, the airplane suffered engine problems and one of them caught fire. Apparently, seven crew members were able to bail out and were later rescued while five others were killed when the heavy bomber crashed into the sea few km west of Kaesŏng.
Crew:
S/Sgt Thomas C. Baker, †
Cpt Osborne T. Carlisle, †
1st Lt James W. Carney,
A2C Willard M. Denn, †
1st Lt Carl G. Happ Jr., †
Sgt James W. Hendricks,
Sgt Theodore G. Lincoln,
Cpt Joseph R. Manion,
1st Lt William R. Mowder,
2nd Lt Lawrence A. Nelson, †
Sgt Lloyd D. Smith,
S/Sgt Herbert Vonderkall.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Boeing RB-50G Superfortress in Offutt AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1952 at 0200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
47-152
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Hickam - Offutt
MSN:
15836
YOM:
1947
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
17
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
On final approach by night, the heavy bomber was too low when it hit a mound of dirt and crashed in a fiery explosion few dozen yards short of runway threshold. Five occupants were killed while 12 others were injured, some of them seriously. The aircraft was destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Douglas A-26C-35-DT Invader in Pyongyang: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1952 at 1225 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-35364
Flight Phase:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
28643
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
While on a weather reconnaissance mission over Pyongyang, the crew made his last radio contact at 1225LT when the aircraft disappeared in unknown circumstances. No trace of the airplane nor the crew was found.
Crew:
1st Lt George Bain,
A1C Edwin W. Collins,
T/Sgt Carl M. Spence,
1st Lt Russell J. Wolfgram.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-20-DK in Millinocket

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
42-93193
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Millinocket – Burlington
MSN:
13077
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Millinocket, while in initial climb, both engines failed. The crew elected to return to Millinocket but eventually decided to attempt an emergency landing in a field. The airplane crash landed 3 miles west of Millinocket and came to rest. While all five crew members were unhurt, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.
Probable cause:
Double engine failure.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-50-DL Invader in Kumchon: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 21, 1952 at 0015 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-34281
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
27560
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a night intruder mission. At 0015LT, he made his last radio contact with the base when the airplane disappeared in unclear circumstances. No trace of the plane nor the crew was found.
Crew:
A1C Charles L. Billingslea Jr.,
1st Lt Dave P. Sullivan,
1st Lt Warren B. Wisdom.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando in North Korea: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1952 at 0202 LT
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-78038
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
33434
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night intrusion mission. The last radio contact was at 0202LT when the airplane disappeared in unknown circumstances. While nine crew members appears to be killed, Sgt Leo A. Poldervaart survived and became PoW. He was repatriated on 31 August 1953. It is believed that a double agent detonated a grenade before bail out.
Crew:
Cpt Lawrence E. Burger, †
Cpl Dean R. Crabb, †
1st Lt John F. Dick, †
1st Lt Dennis F. Haley, †
M/Sgt David T. Harrison, †
Cpt Guy O. King, †
1st Lt Eugene E. Layer, †
Sgt Leo A. Poldervaart,
S/Sgt Thomas W. Rowden, †
Cpl George G. Tatarakis. †

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-61-DL Invader near Sariwon: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-34529
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
27808
YOM:
1944
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While performing a night intruder mission, the aircraft was shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire and crashed between the cities of Sinchon and Sariwon. A crew member was killed while three others were taken POW.
Crew:
S/Sgt Richard D. Abbott,
Cpt Byron A. Dobbs Jr.,
2nd Lt James L. Stanley,
1st Lt Raymond C. Wilk. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by enemy antiaircraft fire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D in Hoengseong AFB

Date & Time: Feb 11, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
45-0932
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
16935/34194
YOM:
1945
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash landed for unknown reason. There were no casualties while the aircraft was written off and used for spares.

Crash of a Curtiss C-46D-10-CU Commando in Wheeler-Sack AAF: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 10, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-77508
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Wheeler-Sack - Wheeler-Sack
MSN:
32904
YOM:
1944
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
32
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft and its crew were taking part to a combined training mission out of Wheeler-Sack AAF and was the ninth airplane to depart in a formation of 17 similar aircraft. Shortly after takeoff, while in initial climb, the aircraft went out of control and crashed on the apron, damaging two other aircraft, a Fairchild C-82A Packet registered 44-23017 and a Ryan L-17B Navion registered 48-1064. The C-46 was destroyed and all four crew members were killed while the other occupants were injured.

Crash of a Douglas C-124A Globemaster II in McChord AFB

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1952
Operator:
Registration:
49-0251
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
43180
YOM:
1949
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crash landed for unknown reason. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.