Date & Time:
Jan 11, 1943 at 1110 LT
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
41-13247
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Peterson AFB - Peterson AFB
MSN:
82-5882
YOM:
1941
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Peterson AFB (Colorado Springs) on a navigation training exercise. En route, it entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed near Peyton, some 30 km northeast of the airbase. The airplane was destroyed and all six crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Richard P. Marx, instructor pilot,
F/O Earl L. Sumner, copilot,
F/O Gordon F. Anderson, copilot,
2nd Lt Robert C. Markway, navigator,
Pfc Frederick H. Hansfield, flight engineer,
Pfc Newell L. Cadwell, radio operator.
Crew:
2nd Lt Richard P. Marx, instructor pilot,
F/O Earl L. Sumner, copilot,
F/O Gordon F. Anderson, copilot,
2nd Lt Robert C. Markway, navigator,
Pfc Frederick H. Hansfield, flight engineer,
Pfc Newell L. Cadwell, radio operator.
Probable cause:
Investigation disclosed that excessive use of the rudder tab control caused these early models of the B-25 to snap-roll resulting in a spin. This problem had previously been reported by pilots who lived to tell about it but the shortage of B-25 aircraft at Peterson Field kept them in service. This accident resulted in a report to the Field Service Command at Wright Field that may have corrected a design flaw. Future lives may have been saved by this tragic event.
