ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 104252
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| Date: | Monday 29 June 1942 |
| Time: | 10:00 |
| Type: | Curtiss-Wright AT-9 Jeep |
| Owner/operator: | 427th School Sqn USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-12259 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | eight miles north of Columbus Army Air Field, Mississipi. -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Training |
| Departure airport: | Columbus AFS |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
On 29 June 1942, a three-airplane formation training flight from the Columbus Army Flying School ended in tragedy. As the formation was flying at approximately 2,000 feet north of Columbus Army Air Field, the instructor gave a signal to change the formation to a V-formation from echelon right. In such a move, the third airplane is supposed to move over and the second should maintain position. In this case, the second airplane, the AT-9 41-12259 of 427th School Squadron, moved over to the left until the pilot, realizing his mistake, began to move back and collided with the third aircraft, the AT-8 41-19 of 426th School Squadron, which was moving into the empty number two position. The tail of the AT-9 came in contact with the bottom of the AT-9 fuselage and the starboard propeller of the AT-9 contacted the fuselage of the AT-9. The AT-9 fell to the ground out of control and crashed at 1000 hrs eight miles north of Columbus Army Air Field, killing both crew, Air Cadet Forrest J Johnston Jr, from North Hollywood, California, and Air Cadet Raeburn Francis Gordon, from Farmville, Virginia. The AT-8 leveled out momentarily but its pilots, Air Cadet Desmond N Fairbairne, from Easton, Pennsylvania, and Air Cadet Hoover Edwards, discovered that they had no elevator control and bailed out safely. The instructor, 2nd Lt Richard N Azar, though that the AT-8 pilot might have missed two formation change signals, prompting the pilot of the AT-9 to move over against procedure.
Sources:
"Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 1, January 1941-June 1943", by Anthony J. Mireles, ISBN 0-7864-2788-4, page 104
https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jun1942.htm
https://www.fold3.com/image/311039321
https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/166823911/raeburn-francis-gordon
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbus_Air_Force_Base
http://wikimapia.org/#lang=en&lat=33.808889&lon=-88.445833&z=15&m=w
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 29-Jun-2022 12:43 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 30-Jun-2022 09:53 | Nepa | Updated [Operator, Location, Operator] |
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