United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The heavy bomber left Kadena AFB for the Korea War theater. Shortly after takeoff, while climbing, the engine number one developed trouble and the aircraft was too heavy to return immediately to Kadena for a safe landing. The crew decided to jettison some of the bombs stored in the bomb bay to light the aircraft. Although the bombs were dropped in a safe condition, some of them exploded while impacting the sea. Fragments severely damaged the airplane to the extent that it was necessary to ditch in the sea about five miles from the end of the runway. Eight crew members were killed while three others were injured.

Probable cause:

Failure of the engine number one.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-75-DL into the Sea of Japan: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 15, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

42-100855

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Seoul - Brady

MSN:

19318

YOM:

1943

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The crew was performing a flight from Seoul-Kimpo to the Brady AFB in Japan. En route, the aircraft went out of control and crashed into the Sea of Japan. The aircraft was lost and all four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

It appears that the accident was caused by a fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Douglas VC-47D in Alabama: 4 killed

Date & Time: Oct 13, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

43-49041

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

14857/26302

YOM:

1944

Location:

Alabama

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

An engine failed in flight. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a prairie located in the St Claire county. All four crew members were killed.

Probable cause:

Engine failure.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119B-10-FA Flying Boxcar in Ashiya AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 12, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

Operator:

Registration:

49-0105

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

10342

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on final approach to Ashiya Airbase. Three crew members were killed while five other occupants were injured. The aircraft was completing a flight from Korea.

Crash of a Boeing B-50D-115-BO Superfortress in RAF Mildenhall

Date & Time: Oct 10, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-50 Superfortress

Operator:

Registration:

49-0318

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Schedule:

Mildenhall - Mildenhall

MSN:

16094

YOM:

1949

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was performing a local training mission at RAF Mildenhall. After an engine failed and caught fire in flight, the captain Robert C. Reagle decided to return to Mildenhall for an emergency landing when the left wing dropped on touchdown. The underwing tank burst into flames when striking the ground and the aircraft went off runway before coming to rest in flames. All crew members were uninjured while the aircraft was partially destroyed by fire.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-50-MO Superfortress off Ashiya AFB

Date & Time: Oct 5, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-65353

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Ashiya AFB, en route to the Korea War theater, the aircraft suffered an engine fire. The crew abandoned the aircraft and bailed out. All crew members were rescued while the aircraft crashed into the sea about 16 km west of the Wakamatsu district.

Probable cause:

Engine fire.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-50-MO Superfortress in Kadena AFB

Date & Time: Oct 4, 1950

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Operator:

Registration:

44-86328

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Military

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on takeoff. Crew fate unknown.

Crash of a Douglas A-26B-50-DL Invader near Pyongyang: 3 killed

Date & Time: Oct 3, 1950 at 0048 LT

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-26 Invader

Operator:

Registration:

44-34233

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

27512

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was engaged in a night mission over Pyongyang and the last radio contact was at 0048LT when the aircraft disappeared. No trace of the aircraft nor the three crew members was found. It is believed that the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire.