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Crash of a Boeing B-29A-10-BN Superfortress near Weatherford: 9 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-93895
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Clovis - Clovis
MSN:
7302
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Clovis Airfield on a night training mission. While flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet in the region of Weatherford, Texas, the aircraft collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-29 registered 44-86276 and carrying a crew of nine from Alamogordo. After the collision, both aircraft went into a dive but during the descent, two crew members of the 42-93895 were able to bail out and survived. Both aircraft crashed in a field located 3 miles west of Weatherford and were totally destroyed. 18 others were killed.
Crew:
Cpl Anthone J. Agliata,
Cpl Robert M. Apirian,
2nd Lt John W. Burtis,
Cpl Willard A. Byerly,
2nd Lt Robert L. Knight,
S/Sgt Clifford D. Longmire,
1st Lt Robert A. Mayer,
Cpl Jasper C. Wilson Jr.,
F/O Robert O. Zaleska.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-40-MO Superfortress near Weatherford: 9 killed

Date & Time: Aug 17, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
44-86276
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The aircraft departed Alamogordo Airfield on a night training mission. While flying at an altitude of 15,000 feet in the region of Weatherford, Texas, the aircraft collided with a second USAAF Boeing B-29 registered 42-93895 and carrying a crew of eleven from Clovis. After the collision, both aircraft went into a dive but during the descent, two crew members of the 42-93895 were able to bail out and survived. Both aircraft crashed in a field located 3 miles west of Weatherford and were totally destroyed. 18 others were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Benson W. Cohen,
Sgt Clarence A. Jurgens,
2nd Lt Edward E. Lahniers,
Sgt Donald V. Lefebvre,
Sgt Johnny A. Moseley,
2nd Lt Gordon E. Myers,
Sgt Donald E. Reed,
1st Lt Aubrey K. Stinson,
2nd Lt Harold Lannis Swaim.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator in Weatherford: 2 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1943 at 1530 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-11793
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Tarrant - Tarrant
MSN:
289
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
The crew departed Tarrant AFB on a local training exercise. En route, after the engine n°2 was feathered, the crew mistakenly shut down the engine n°1. Due to an insufficient speed, the airplane lost height and crashed in a pasture in Weatherford, about 34 km west of Tarrant AFB. Two crew members were killed and seven others were injured. The airplane was destroyed.
Those killed were:
Pvt Thadas G. Searcy,
Pfc Charles D. Wilkins.
Probable cause:
Crew error.