United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947)

Schedule:

Fairchild - Fairchild

MSN:

YOM:

1946

Location:

Fairchild AFB (Spokane)

Washington

Country:

Region:

De Havilland DHC-2 Beaver

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The crew was completing a local training mission at Fairchild AFB. During an aborted takeoff, the airplane crashed in unclear circumstances. Seven crew members were killed and three others were injured.

Crash of a De Havilland L-20A Beaver on Mona Island

Date & Time: Mar 21, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

52-6081

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

MSN:

445

YOM:

1953

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed on landing at Mona Island Airstrip. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair and the pilot was rescued.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119F-FA Flying Boxcar in Lothian: 18 killed

Date & Time: Mar 19, 1954 at 2229 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

51-7993

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Oklahoma City – Bolling – Mitchel

MSN:

10732

YOM:

1951

Location:

Lothian

Maryland

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While cruising under VFR in poor weather conditions, the crew contacted ATC and requested the permission to continue under IFR. Awaiting the permission, the pilot-in-command lost control of the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed in Lothian, about 14 miles east of Andrews AFB. All 18 occupants were killed.

Probable cause:

It was determined that weather conditions were poor at the time of the accident and that the crew should never start the flight under VFR rules. While cruising under VFR rules in IFR conditions, the crew lost control of the aircraft.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-45-DL near Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée: 20 killed

Date & Time: Mar 4, 1954 at 1430 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

42-24096

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Survivors:

Site:

Mountains

Schedule:

Tripoli – Rome – Hahn

MSN:

9958

YOM:

1943

Location:

Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée

Alpes-Maritimes

Country:

France

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The aircraft left Wheelus AFB in Tripoli in the morning on a liaison flight to Hahn, near Frankfurt, with an intermediate stop at Rome-Ciampino Airport. Before departure from Rome, the crew received a basic weather bulletin and while cruising over the Alps, he encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and snow falls. While cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane hit the slope of a mountain located near Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, about 65 km north of Nice. The aircraft disintegrated on impact and all 20 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Edward B. Eden 1.

Probable cause:

It was determined that the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path by several km due to strong winds gusting up to 80 knots. Due to low visibility caused by poor weather conditions (clouds and snow falls), the crew failed to recognize the heading deviation and was unable to distinguish the mountain. In such condition, the crew did not proceed to any correction until the aircraft impacted terrain.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D in Gunsan

Date & Time: Mar 3, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

44-76639

Flight Type:

Site:

Fairchild C-119 Flying Boxcar

MSN:

16223/32971

YOM:

1945

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances at Gunsan Airfield. The crew fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Fairchild C-119G Flying Boxcar in Huntingdon: 4 killed

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1954 at 1450 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

52-5894

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

City

Schedule:

Fort Benning - Fort Benning

MSN:

11061

YOM:

1952

Location:

Huntingdon

Tennessee

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Captain / Total flying hours:

1188

Captain / Total hours on type:

436.00

Copilot / Total flying hours:

444

Copilot / Total hours on type:

104

Circumstances:

The crew left Fort Benning-Lawson AFB in Columbus, Georgia, at 1334LT on a training flight to Maxwell AFB, Montgomery, Alabama. The training program consisted of approaches, touch and goes and landings. After takeoff from Fort Benning, the captain decided to modify his schedule and flew to the northwest to Huntingdon, Tennesse, where he came from. This city is more than 300 miles northwest from Fort Benning. Approaching Huntingdon, the captain reduced his altitude and completed a first low pass over the city. Few minutes later, at a speed of 230 knots, he made a second low pass over the city when the plane hit the roof of a house and disintegrated on a field. All four crew members were killed while nobody on the ground was injured.
Crew:
1st Lt Jack C. Jenkins, pilot,
2nd Lt John C. Peachey, copilot,
A2c Franklin D. Levy, flight engineer,
A2c David A. Probus, flight engineer.

Probable cause:

The aircraft disintegrated as a result of stress applied beyond the designed load limits. Inspection of the engines disclosed no malfunction of the power recovery turbines. The pilot violated several procedures by operating an aircraft in a careless and reckless manner, by flying over a congested area at less than 2,000 feet above the highest obstacle within a radius of 2,000 feet, by disregarding established boundaries of the local flying area and proceeding to a point approximately 170 nautical miles outside of the prescribed flying area while operating on a local flight clearance. In addition, the pilot failed to follow instructions for accomplishing scheduled crew training published by squadron training directive and as briefed by the Squadron Operations Officer. The pilot had made two extremely low and high speed passes over the town of Huntingdon.

Final Report:

Ground fire of a Convair B-36B-15-CF Peacemaker at Fairchild AFB

Date & Time: Feb 26, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Convair B-36 Peacemaker

Operator:

Registration:

44-92069

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Fairchild - Fairchild

MSN:

YOM:

1946

Location:

Fairchild AFB (Spokane)

Washington

Country:

Region:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following an uneventful training mission, the crew was returning to Fairchild AFB. After touchdown, the pilot completed the braking procedure and vacated the runway via a taxiway when one of the main landing gear collapsed. The aircraft came to a halt in flames and while all occupants were able to evacuate safely, the aircraft was completely destroyed by fire. It was reported that one of the undercarriage collapsed and punctured a fuel tank. The fire could not be extinguished in time.

Probable cause:

Undercarriage collapsed during taxi.

Crash of a Douglas C-47D near Narsarsuaq

Date & Time: Feb 22, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

43-16252

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Site:

Plain, Valley

MSN:

20718

YOM:

1944

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in unknown circumstances some 56 km northeast of Narsarsuaq. Occupant fate remains unknown.

Crash of a Fairchild C-82A Packet in Yelm

Date & Time: Feb 14, 1954

Type of aircraft:

Fairchild C-82 Packet

Operator:

Registration:

48-0569

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

MSN:

10204

YOM:

1948

Location:

Yelm

Washington

Country:

Region: