Newberry

The airplanes were part of a three-ship flight on a formation-training mission. The three-ship flight had been part of a seven-ship formation that had broken up. The formation had taken off from Morrison Field, Palm Beach, Florida, and was flying back to the home station at the Army Air Base at Greenville, South Carolina. The formation was flying above the clouds at about 10,000 feet when the flight leader, Lt Wilson flying B-25C registered 41-13281, noticed a break in the overcast and began to descend through it. His flight following him down and the other four airplanes remained above the overcast. The three-ship flight descended to about 1,500 feet agl near Lake Murray. After flying northwest at this altitude for a short period of time, flight leader Lt Wilson made a sudden and steep turn to the right in an attempt to avoid low hanging clouds. Lt Mannio, flying in B-25C registered 41-13275 in the number two position, attempted to follow the maneuver and overran the leader. The two airplanes collided just as they were entering broken clouds. The airplanes fell from the overcast out of control and shedding pieces. The airplanes slammed to earth and exploded into flames some 19 km south of Newberry. The tail section of Lt Wilson was not located at the time of the investigation. All 14 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew 41-13275:
2nd Lt Kauko K. Mannio, pilot,
2nd Lt Donald G. Halley, copilot,
2nd Lt Randolph V. Donaldson, navigator,
T/Sgt Lyle E. Vinson, flight engineer,
Sgt John B. McFalls, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Basil R. Sink, radio operator,
S/Sgt Allen M. Steen, air gunner.
Crew 41-13281:
1st Lt John E. Wilson, pilot,
2nd Lt Francis Bardell, copilot,
2nd Lt Julius X. Zarchin, bombardier,
S/Sgt Harold B. Brown, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Franklyn G. Morris, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Dean L. Loren, radio operator,
Sgt Walter W. Pratt, air gunner.
Source: Anthony J. Mireles.

The airplanes were part of a three-ship flight on a formation-training mission. The three-ship flight had been part of a seven-ship formation that had broken up. The formation had taken off from Morrison Field, Palm Beach, Florida, and was flying back to the home station at the Army Air Base at Greenville, South Carolina. The formation was flying above the clouds at about 10,000 feet when the flight leader, Lt Wilson flying B-25C registered 41-13281, noticed a break in the overcast and began to descend through it. His flight following him down and the other four airplanes remained above the overcast. The three-ship flight descended to about 1,500 feet agl near Lake Murray. After flying northwest at this altitude for a short period of time, flight leader Lt Wilson made a sudden and steep turn to the right in an attempt to avoid low hanging clouds. Lt Mannio, flying in B-25C registered 41-13275 in the number two position, attempted to follow the maneuver and overran the leader. The two airplanes collided just as they were entering broken clouds. The airplanes fell from the overcast out of control and shedding pieces. The airplanes slammed to earth and exploded into flames some 19 km south of Newberry. The tail section of Lt Wilson was not located at the time of the investigation. All 14 crew members in both airplanes were killed.
Crew 41-13275:
2nd Lt Kauko K. Mannio, pilot,
2nd Lt Donald G. Halley, copilot,
2nd Lt Randolph V. Donaldson, navigator,
T/Sgt Lyle E. Vinson, flight engineer,
Sgt John B. McFalls, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Basil R. Sink, radio operator,
S/Sgt Allen M. Steen, air gunner.
Crew 41-13281:
1st Lt John E. Wilson, pilot,
2nd Lt Francis Bardell, copilot,
2nd Lt Julius X. Zarchin, bombardier,
S/Sgt Harold B. Brown, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Franklyn G. Morris, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Dean L. Loren, radio operator,
Sgt Walter W. Pratt, air gunner.
Source: Anthony J. Mireles.