Date & Time:
Mar 27, 1943 at 1235 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-5695
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pope AFB - Tulsa
MSN:
9002
YOM:
1943
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
4
Pax on board:
7
Pax fatalities:
7
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Pope AFB on a flight to Tulsa, carrying seven passengers and a crew of four. At 1223LT, the crew called Knoxville, Tennessee, Airways Radio, stating he was at 11,500 feet and asked for instructions. Knoxville radio replied 'no instructions'. The pilot broke of the overcast at about 3,000 feet in a descending attitude 32 miles west of Knoxville. Descent continued for about 2.2 miles holding a generally straight heading. The ship the assumed an abrupt left climbing turn, at which time a section of the metal skin over the left tanks and a small piece of left stabilizer left the aircraft. Immediately thereafter an explosion occurred which completely disintegrated all the forward portion of the aircraft from the main entrance door, also the tail surfaces, scattering portions over about one and one-half square miles. One propeller was feathered, the other almost completely feathered, probably because the pilot had detected excessive vibration or flutter. All 11 occupants were killed.
Crew:
F/O Charles E. Fontaine, pilot,
2nd Lt J. C. Wingate, copilot,
S/Sgt Joseph A. Stahlman, flight engineer,
Cpl Walter C. Oughton, radio operator.
Passengers:
2nd Lt Allen C. Deatherage,
S/Sgt William G. Snell,
Sgt Willis F. McElroy,
Pfc William C. Hoover,
Pvt George P. Bacca,
Pvt James E. Berry,
Pvt Claude A. Brasier.
Crew:
F/O Charles E. Fontaine, pilot,
2nd Lt J. C. Wingate, copilot,
S/Sgt Joseph A. Stahlman, flight engineer,
Cpl Walter C. Oughton, radio operator.
Passengers:
2nd Lt Allen C. Deatherage,
S/Sgt William G. Snell,
Sgt Willis F. McElroy,
Pfc William C. Hoover,
Pvt George P. Bacca,
Pvt James E. Berry,
Pvt Claude A. Brasier.
Probable cause:
It is the opinion of the Accident Committee that the accident was caused by one or more of the following:
- Disintegration of the fabric covered control surfaces due to excess speed.
- Structural failure of left wing and stabilizer in sudden pull-up, which might have been caused by either pilot making this maneuver on sight of the ground, or shifting of passengers into the tail for possible crash landing after realizing loss of control surfaces by shredding, or failure of elevator hinge bracket by a resonate vibration set up in using 1,200 to 1,600 rpms.
- The descent from original altitude was probably due to conditions beyond the pilot's control, such as icing of one or more of the following: engines, outside instrument vents on ship, mechanical failure of either or both engines, failure of controls due to resonant frequency, or controls becoming jammed.
- The explosion was probably caused by the auxiliary venting through the filler cap of the fuel tanks installed in the cabin or the fracture of the gas line leading to the wing tanks from these auxiliary cabin tanks at the time of the crumpling action in the left wing.
- Disintegration of the fabric covered control surfaces due to excess speed.
- Structural failure of left wing and stabilizer in sudden pull-up, which might have been caused by either pilot making this maneuver on sight of the ground, or shifting of passengers into the tail for possible crash landing after realizing loss of control surfaces by shredding, or failure of elevator hinge bracket by a resonate vibration set up in using 1,200 to 1,600 rpms.
- The descent from original altitude was probably due to conditions beyond the pilot's control, such as icing of one or more of the following: engines, outside instrument vents on ship, mechanical failure of either or both engines, failure of controls due to resonant frequency, or controls becoming jammed.
- The explosion was probably caused by the auxiliary venting through the filler cap of the fuel tanks installed in the cabin or the fracture of the gas line leading to the wing tanks from these auxiliary cabin tanks at the time of the crumpling action in the left wing.
