Crash of a Boeing B-29A-35-BN Superfortress off Tarpon Springs: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 1, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-61538
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
McDill - McDill
MSN:
11015
YOM:
1944
Location:
Tarpon Springs
Florida
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
14
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The crew was engaged in a low level target exercice when the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the gulf of Mexico, about 27 miles west-northwest of Tarpon Springs. Seven crew members were killed while seven others were rescued.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-90-BW Superfortress in McClellan AFB: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 5, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-87756
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Meteorological / Weather
Survivors:
No
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Schedule:
McClellan - McClellan
MSN:
12559
YOM:
1944
Location:
Sacramento-McClellan
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to his base at McClellan AFB after a 19 hours mission consisting of weather reports. On final approach, a propeller went into reverse. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion about three miles short of runway. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Bruce Acebedo,
S/Sgt Carlton J. Fose,
M/Sgt Edwin M. Fultz,
Cpt Guilford A. Hopkins,
S/Sgt. Elbert E. King,
Cpt Robert L. Kizer,
2nd Lt August I. Lam,
S/Sgt Hayden C. Schulz,
T/Sgt George R. Shook,
Cpt Leonard B. Winstead.
Probable cause:
Failure of a propeller which went into reverse on final approach.

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-65-BN Superfortress near Onaga: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 3, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-62164
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
11641
YOM:
1944
Location:
Onaga
Kansas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
2
Circumstances:
An unexpected situation occurred during a night training mission over Kansas. The captain ordered his crew to bail out and attempted to make an emergency landing when he lost control of the heavy bomber that crashed in a huge explosion in a field located about 5,5 miles west of Onaga. The pilot was killed as well as a second crew member whose parachute failed to open. All ten other crew members were found alive. Those killed were A2c Charles Filittoni, right gunner, and Lt Col Thomas Stanley Robert, pilot.

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-45-BN Superfortress near Kaesŏng

Date & Time: Apr 1, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-61776
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Yokota - Yokota
MSN:
11253
YOM:
1944
Location:
Kaesŏng
North Hwanghae (황해북도)
Country:
North Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the engine number one and four failed. All 11 crew members decided to bail out and abandoned the heavy bomber that dove into the ground and crashed about 5 km north of Kaesŏng. All 11 crew members were found alive while the aircraft was destroyed.
Probable cause:
Failure of engine number one and four in flight.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-55-MO Superfortress near Yokota AFB: 9 killed

Date & Time: Mar 31, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-86400
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Location:
Yokota AFB (Tokyo)
Kantō
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Four minutes after takeoff from Yokota AFB, while climbing, the heavy bomber hit the slope of a mountain located near the village of Saimon, about 10 km northwest of the airbase. Two crew members were rescued while nine others were killed.
Crew:
Cpl Sherley B. Ardoin, †
Cpl Norman F. Cline,
2nd Lt William F. Evert, †
T/Sgt Charles R. Fitzwater, †
1st Lt Earl H. Lemons, †
S/Sgt Wayne L. Marchand, †
Cpl Carrol L. Rackley, †
2nd Lt Harold G. Richards, †
1st Lt Norbert L. Robie, †
Sgt James H. Sample,
1st Lt John G. Stevens. †

Crash of a Boeing B-29A-90-BW Superfortress near Randolph AFB: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1952 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-87774
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Randolph - Randolph
MSN:
12577
YOM:
1944
Location:
Randolph AFB (Seguin)
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
At 1350 CST, 12 March 1952, two B-29 aircraft, AF No. 44-87774 and No. 44-62223, both assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, were involved in a mid-air collision approximately 19 miles north of Randolph Air Force Base. Results of the collision were such that the tail section of the rammed aircraft, No. 44-62223, separated from the fuselage, rendering this aircraft uncontrollable. Portions of the ramming aircraft, No. 44-87774, found along the flight path following the collision, indicated a strong possibility that all personnel in the forward section of this aircraft were incapacitated. Both aircraft crashed with all personnel aboard.
Crew on board 44-87774 were:
M/Sgt Clyde L. Arnold, instructor engineer,
Cpl Wallace L. Bertog, flight engineer,
Pfc Donald L. Jameson, student gunner,
1st Lt Lester H. Johnson, pilot,
Pvt Sanford L. "Sandy" Kerner, student gunner,
Maj Robert W. Padgett, student aircraft commander,
Pfc William E. Reynolds, student gunner,
1st Lt Dale W. Scott, instructor pilot.
Crew on board 44-62223 were:
Pfc Arthur L. Hall, student gunner,
M/Sgt Ward W. Hovis, flight engineer,
Cpl Patrick H. Martin, instructor gunner,
M/Sgt Harrell B. Meyers, instructor engineer,
1st Lt Robert D. Neu, student aircraft commander,
Cpt Donald L. Rottier, instructor pilot,
1st Lt Moses G. Seals, pilot.
Source: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the collision.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing TB-29A-70-BN Superfortress near Randolph AFB: 7 killed

Date & Time: Mar 12, 1952 at 1350 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-62223
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Randolph - Randolph
MSN:
11700
YOM:
1944
Location:
Randolph AFB (Seguin)
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
At 1350 CST, 12 March 1952, two B-29 aircraft, AF No. 44-87774 and No. 44-62223, both assigned to Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, were involved in a mid-air collision approximately 19 miles north of Randolph Air Force Base. Results of the collision were such that the tail section of the rammed aircraft, No. 44-62223, separated from the fuselage, rendering this aircraft uncontrollable. Portions of the ramming aircraft, No. 44-87774, found along the flight path following the collision, indicated a strong possibility that all personnel in the forward section of this aircraft were incapacitated. Both aircraft crashed with all personnel aboard.
Crew on board 44-87774 were:
M/Sgt Clyde L. Arnold, instructor engineer,
Cpl Wallace L. Bertog, flight engineer,
Pfc Donald L. Jameson, student gunner,
1st Lt Lester H. Johnson, pilot,
Pvt Sanford L. "Sandy" Kerner, student gunner,
Maj Robert W. Padgett, student aircraft commander,
Pfc William E. Reynolds, student gunner,
1st Lt Dale W. Scott, instructor pilot.
Crew on board 44-62223 were:
Pfc Arthur L. Hall, student gunner,
M/Sgt Ward W. Hovis, flight engineer,
Cpl Patrick H. Martin, instructor gunner,
M/Sgt Harrell B. Meyers, instructor engineer,
1st Lt Robert D. Neu, student aircraft commander,
Cpt Donald L. Rottier, instructor pilot,
1st Lt Moses G. Seals, pilot.
Source: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/
Probable cause:
Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the collision.
Final Report:

Crash of a Boeing B-29-60-BW Superfortress off Kaesŏng: 5 killed

Date & Time: Feb 28, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-69803
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
10635
YOM:
1944
Location:
Kaesŏng
North Hwanghae (황해북도)
Country:
North Korea
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
12
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
En route, the airplane suffered engine problems and one of them caught fire. Apparently, seven crew members were able to bail out and were later rescued while five others were killed when the heavy bomber crashed into the sea few km west of Kaesŏng.
Crew:
S/Sgt Thomas C. Baker, †
Cpt Osborne T. Carlisle, †
1st Lt James W. Carney,
A2C Willard M. Denn, †
1st Lt Carl G. Happ Jr., †
Sgt James W. Hendricks,
Sgt Theodore G. Lincoln,
Cpt Joseph R. Manion,
1st Lt William R. Mowder,
2nd Lt Lawrence A. Nelson, †
Sgt Lloyd D. Smith,
S/Sgt Herbert Vonderkall.
Probable cause:
Engine failure.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-90-BW Superfortress in Yokota AFB: 18 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
45-21721
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Bombing
Survivors:
No
Site:
City
MSN:
13615
YOM:
1945
Location:
Yokota AFB (Tokyo)
Kantō
Country:
Japan
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
13
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
18
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Yokota AFB, while climbing in snow falls, the heavy bomber went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion on several houses located about 5 km northwest of the airfield. All 13 crew members and five people on the ground were killed.
Crew:
Col John Grable, pilot,
2nd Lt Richard Johnson, pilot,
Cpt Robert Belcher, navigator,
T/Sgt Robert Crutchfield, flight engineer,
1st Lt Allen Frisbee Baker, bombardier,
Sgt Edward Caron, gunner,
Cpl Edward Ebehart, gunner,
Sgt Neal Heffernan, gunner,
1st Lt Robert Henry,
Cpl Owen J. Imsdahl,
Cpl Walter Setser,
Maj Daniel D. Smith Jr.,
M/Sgt Howard Thompson.

Crash of a Boeing B-29-50-BN Superfortress near March AFB: 3 killed

Date & Time: Feb 5, 1952
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-61867
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
City
Schedule:
March AFB - March AFB
MSN:
11344
YOM:
1944
Location:
March AFB
California
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
3
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a local training flight at March AFB. On final approach, the airplane crashed for unknown reasons near houses located 3 km short of runway, bursting into flames. Three crew members were killed and eight others were injured.
Crew:
Cpt Charles W. Gatchel, instructor pilot, †
1st Lt R. C. Dunlap, pilot,
1st Lt Billy Lee, pilot, †
T/Sgt W. S. Bradley, †
S/Sgt W. J. Wright, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Joseph Guida, radar scanner,
S/Sgt F. J. Ryan, radar scanner,
Sgt Robert E. Erickson, radar scanner,
Sgt Joseph Pecka, radar scanner,
Cpl P. J. Hanratty, radar scanner,
Pfc J. C. Hall, radio operator.
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