Crash of a Boeing B-29-100-BW Superfortress in Waycross: 9 killed
Date & Time:
Oct 6, 1948 at 0930 LT
Operator:
Registration:
45-21866
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Robins - Robins
MSN:
13760
YOM:
1945
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
5
Pax fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The heavy bomber departed Robins AFB at 0830LT on a test flight part of the Project 'Banshee', carrying 8 crew members and five engineers, all civilians. About an hour into the flight, the engine n°1 caught fire and two others lost power. Instruction was given to abandon the airplane and four occupants were able to bail out before the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in an open field located south of Waycross. All nine people who remained on board were killed while all four people who bailed out were rescued.
Crew:
Cpt Ralph Erwin, pilot, †
2nd Lt Herbert W. Moore, copilot,
2nd Lt Earl Murrhee, flight engineer,
1st Lt Lawrence Pence Jr., navigator, †
Sgt Walter Peny, left scanner,
Sgt Jack York, right scanner, †
Sgt Melvin Walker, radio operator, †
Sgt Derwood Irvin, bomb aimer. †
Passengers:
Al Palya, †
Robert Reynolds, †
William Brauner, †
Eugene Mechler,
Richard Cox. †
Crew:
Cpt Ralph Erwin, pilot, †
2nd Lt Herbert W. Moore, copilot,
2nd Lt Earl Murrhee, flight engineer,
1st Lt Lawrence Pence Jr., navigator, †
Sgt Walter Peny, left scanner,
Sgt Jack York, right scanner, †
Sgt Melvin Walker, radio operator, †
Sgt Derwood Irvin, bomb aimer. †
Passengers:
Al Palya, †
Robert Reynolds, †
William Brauner, †
Eugene Mechler,
Richard Cox. †
Probable cause:
The cause of the crash was a fire and drop in manifold pressure in the n°1 engine, as well as an inadvertent feathering of the n°4 engine, which was not successfully unfeathered prior to the crash. A series of negligence and crew error were also identified.
