South Dakota

Witnesses reported that shortly after lift-off, the aircraft entered an unusually steep, nose high attitude, while still at low airspeed. One witness (an ATP pilot) reported the aircraft attained an altitude of approximately 75 to 100 feet and appeared to slow down and enter a VMC roll, then it crashed. Impact occurred in an inverted, nose down attitude, left of the runway. An investigation revealed that a coupling shaft (PN 865888-3) had failed in the left engine and the left prop had feathered. A metallurgical examination of the coupling showed evidence of fatigue. One pilot was killed and three other occupants were injured, one seriously.

The Hansa Jet HFB-320 aircraft crashed on takeoff from the Aberdeen Airport after the flight crew selected the incorrect runway for takeoff. The aircraft was observed running off the end of runway 17, which is 3,860 feet long, where it struck a fence, ditch, road and another ditch then became airborne, the landing gear separated during the above sequence. The aircraft was than observed to level off momentarily, then descend in a right turn until impact. Investigation revealed the crew had been flying 12 hours except for refueling stops and cargo loading. In addition, calculations revealed the aircraft was over gross weight by approx 1 ton. The proper runway for takeoff was 13 (40° chance) and 6,900 feet long. Runway used was restricted to aircraft less than 12,500 gto weight. N127MW weighed over 20,000 lbs. All three occupants were killed.

Just after liftoff, while climbing, the airplane struck a flock of birds (13 inland seagulls). Both engines flamed out and the airplane lost speed and height. The right wing stalled and struck an installation approach light on T-bar before the airplane crashed in flames 150 meters further. All six occupants were injured and the aircraft was destroyed.

The B52 of the 28th Bomb Wing at Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, crashed and was destroyed after a landing accident. It caught fire and skidded into a brick storage building containing six 25,000 gallon tanks (150,000 total) of jet fuel. The firemen did a fantastic job in saving the crew member (the navigator) who was trapped inside the nose section that had broken off for almost an hour before being freed. The fire truck rammed the gun turret, breaking it off and freeing the tail gunner. Crew:
Cpt Wesley G. Swann, pilot,
Cpt Gary C. Christensen, copilot,
Maj Ralph P. Smiley, radar navigator,
Cpt Curtis L. Christy, navigator,
1Lt James L. Welch, electronic warfare officer,
S/Sgt Charles E. Adkins, gunner,
Maj Harry D. Meehan, instructor navigator,
Lt Col Paul R. Houser, 28th Bomb Wing Chief of Operations,
A1C Randall Hart, avionics maintenance.
Source: ASN

On final approach to Rapid City Airport, the pilot encountered gusty winds and lost control of the airplane that crashed in a huge explosion in a field. All nine occupants were killed.

Shortly after a night takeoff from Huron-William Washington Howes Airport, while in initial climb, the seaplane stalled and crashed. Both occupants were seriously injured and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. At the time of the accident, the OAT was 18° F (-8° C) with a relative high humidity.

The airplane departed Platte Airport for a local pleasance flight with four passengers and a pilot on board. While flying in marginal weather conditions, the airplane was approaching the Robbins Ranch at low height when control was lost. The airplane overturned then crashed in an open field, killing all five occupants. At the time of the accident, weather was slightly worse than forecasted with low ceiling and rain.

On final approach to Ellsworth AFB, while completing a local training sortie, all eight engine lost power. The aircraft stalled and crashed onto a building containing the equipment for the instrument landing approach system and located short of runway. Two crew members were killed while six others were injured. Three people working in the building were killed as well.
Crew:
Cpt Melvin J. Rudd, pilot,
Sgt Richard Gilbert, navigator,
Cpt Verle Rusk, navigator,
1st Lt Leonard R. Scotty, electronic countermeasures officer,
T/Sgt Oscar Orrs, gunner, 1,
Cpt John O'Connell Jr., navigator, †
1st Lt Kenneth B. Kaeppler, radar navigator. †
Those killed on ground were:
A1c Ronald R. Mitchell,
A1 James E. Ferrell,
Mr. Glen M. Allen.

The crew was completing a local training mission at Ellsworth AFB. On touchdown, the six engine airplane went out of control, veered off runway and came to rest in flames. All occupants escaped uninjured while the aircraft was destroyed by fire. It is believed that the loss of control was caused by an uneven power reduction during landing.

Aircraft Commander Lt Col Wray Cotterill, Pilot 1st Lt Roger Bumps, Co-pilot Captain Neal Williams and a crew of twenty-four took off in RB-36H, 51-13722 of the 77th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron of the 28th Strategic Reconnaissance Wing from Ellsworth AFB at 4:15 in the morning on August 27, 1954. The crew had just returned from a thirty day leave. Captain Williams had finished a 20-hour mission just 32 hours earlier. Their flight took them to Kansas City, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas; Dallas, Texas; and back to Little Rock for radar bombing practice. They flew to Kansas City again and then returned to Ellsworth AFB after flying 3,594 air miles. At 9:00 in the evening the pilots began to practice Planned Position Indicator Ground Control Approaches (GCA PPI) using Air Surveillance Radar. They entered the pattern for Runway 12. GCA PPI was not as precise as GCA precision approach. The minimum altitude for GCA approach was 3,864 feet. The approaches were flown at 145 miles per hour. The landing gear remained retracted. The flaps were lowered to 20 degrees and the landing lights were extended. The night was clear and visibility exceeded 15 miles. During the first four approaches, Lt Bumps flew from the right seat and Captain Williams observed from the left seat. A pair of North American F-86D Sabre Dogs took off from Runway 30 at 9:30. Their pilots noticed that the red obstruction lights on a low range of hills 1-3/4 miles northwest of the runway were not working. The lead pilot notified the Ellsworth tower that the obstruction lights were out. It was not known at the time that they had been disabled by a lightning strike the night before. The civilian Senior Electrician of Air Installations was called shortly before 10:00 P.M. and notified that the obstruction lights needed to be repaired. He assembled a crew at the AIO electrical shop and prepared to drive out to the lights. On the fourth approach, ground control advised Lt Bumps that the obstruction lights northwest of the field were not working. After the fourth pass over the airfield, Col Cotterill moved into the left hand seat to fly the next approach. Col Cotterill flew the approach higher than the glide path specified by the GCA operator. Before the sixth approach, Captain Williams replaced Lt Bumps in the right hand seat. It is believed that Col Cotterill flew the next approach. The RB-36H was flying at 145 miles per hour on a heading of 147 degrees (true), descending at 750 feet per minute when the left wing struck one of the inoperative obstruction lights. Seventy feet beyond the obstruction light the lower fuselage struck the ground 8,777 feet short and 225 feet right of the centerline of Runway 12 at 10:11 P.M. Mountain Standard Time. The impact point was at an elevation of 3,394 feet, 148 feet higher than the runway. The tail section broke away from the fuselage and came to rest 275 feet from the first point of impact. E.C.M. Captain Philip Toups, 1st Lt Roger Bumps and E.C.M. A/1C John Harvey were rescued from the wreckage while 24 other occupants were killed. Cpt Toups died five days after the crash. A/1C Harvey succumbed to his injuries after six days. Eventually, only 1st Lt Roger Bumps survived the crash.
Crew:
Lt Col Wray Cotterill, pilot,
Cpt Neal Williams, copilot,
1st Lt Roger Bumps, copilot,
Maj Martin Margolin, navigator.
Passengers:
Maj Harold Chambers, photo navigator,
Cpt James MacDaniel, radar navigator,
Cpt Roy Wegner, engineer,
M/Sgt William Ratagick, engineer,
A1c Glenn Kerri, ECM,
T/Sgt Charles Briggs, ECM
Cpt Philip Toups, ECM,
A1c John Harvey, ECM,
M/Sgt Carl Boyd, radio operator,
A1c James Swanson, radio operator,
A1c Russell Wilson, photo,
A2c Allen Jenkins, photo,
M/Sgt Dean McKever, gunner,
A1c John Baker, gunner,
A1c George Gross, gunner,
S/Sgt Dennis Murphy, gunner,
A2c George Hertnecky, gunner,
A2c William Lynch, radio operator,
2nd Lt Richard Crittenden, navigator,
2nd Lt Joseph Mullan, engineer,
A2c Marcel Herbert, photo,
A2c Billy Campbell, photo,
A2c Donald Wolf, gunner.
Source & photos: http://www.air-and-space.com