Date & Time:
May 15, 1943 at 1700 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
41-18562
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Laurinburg – Cincinnati
MSN:
4687
YOM:
1942
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
3
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
15
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Laurinburg-Maxton AAB at 1500LT on a flight to Cincinnati-Lunken Field, carrying 15 passengers and a crew of three. About two hours into the flight, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 feet in poor visibility due to fog, the airplane impacted the slope of Mt Gingercake (4,350 feet high) located 28 km northwest of Morganton. The wreckage was found 106 metres below the summit and all 18 occupants were killed. At the time of the accident and above this region, the airplane was supposed to fly at the minimum altitude of 8,000 feet.
Crew:
F/O W. B. McBroom, pilot,
F/O James C. Armstrong Jr.,
F/O Orville M. Buchheit,
1st Lt Morton M. Katz,
2nd Lt James E. R. Lauderdale,
2nd Lt Donald E. Lewin,
2nd Lt Robert C. Mack,
2nd Lt Thomas B. Oksendahl,
2nd Lt James H. Valentine,
2nd Lt Joseph E. Plaza,
S/Sgt William B. Goddard,
S/Sgt Lester J. Kuchar,
S/Sgt Francis P. McMahon,
S/Sgt Guy A. Partridge Jr.,
T/Sgt Edward T. Russell,
T/Sgt Gerald J. Sutherland,
Sgt Melvin F. Mullinax,
Pvt William T. Templeman.
Crew:
F/O W. B. McBroom, pilot,
F/O James C. Armstrong Jr.,
F/O Orville M. Buchheit,
1st Lt Morton M. Katz,
2nd Lt James E. R. Lauderdale,
2nd Lt Donald E. Lewin,
2nd Lt Robert C. Mack,
2nd Lt Thomas B. Oksendahl,
2nd Lt James H. Valentine,
2nd Lt Joseph E. Plaza,
S/Sgt William B. Goddard,
S/Sgt Lester J. Kuchar,
S/Sgt Francis P. McMahon,
S/Sgt Guy A. Partridge Jr.,
T/Sgt Edward T. Russell,
T/Sgt Gerald J. Sutherland,
Sgt Melvin F. Mullinax,
Pvt William T. Templeman.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
