ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 120414
This information is added by users of ASN. Neither ASN nor the Flight Safety Foundation are responsible for the completeness or correctness of this information.
If you feel this information is incomplete or incorrect, you can submit corrected information.
| Date: | Wednesday 17 January 1945 |
| Time: | 22:20 |
| Type: |  Vultee BT-13A Valiant |
| Owner/operator: | 3024th BU USAAF |
| Registration: | 41-22262 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 0 / Occupants: 1 |
| Other fatalities: | 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Avra Auxiliary Army Airfield, Arizona -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Take off |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | |
Avra Auxiliary Army Airfield was built in 1942 as one of 5 satellite airfields for Marana Army Airfield (located 11 miles NNW), which conducted basic flight training & the training of transport pilots in instrument flying & navigation. The site consisted of a total of 575 acres. Facilities included a 3,000’ square landing mat, stage house, crash truck shelter, and latrine.
The earliest depiction which has been located of Avra Field was a 6/13/43 aerial view looking north from the 1945 AAF Airfield Directory (courtesy of Scott Murdock). It depicted “Marana AAF Auxiliary #4 (Avra Field)” as a square asphalt landing mat.
At 2220 hrs on 17 January 1945, the Vultee BT-13A 41-22262 of 3024th Base Unit crashed into the stage house of the airfield. Pvt. Thomas Nathaniel Burch, a truck driver of the 3024th Base Unit, was asleep inside the stage house when the airplane smashed completely through the structure, killing him instantly. The pilot of the BT-13, Chinese Air Force student Fei-Peng Wu, suffered minor injuries. The aircraft was damaged beyond repair
The Accident Classification Committe stated: "A/C Wu landed at Avra Auxiliary Field and was taxiing back to the take-off position peparatory to taking off for a second landing. The student was in the take-off position lined up with the take-off runway when given the green light by the control tower. After receiving the green light the student turned the airplane approximately 45 degrees to the left and gave it the throttle for take-off. At this point the airplane was lined up in a direct path with a stage house in the center of the field. Control tower operators were unable to take action soon enough to prevent the airplane from crashing directly into the stage house."
Sources:
http://web.archive.org/web/20140925090910/http://www.airfields-freeman.com:80/AZ/Airfields_AZ_Tuscon_N.htm
"Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 3, August 1944-December 1945", by Anthony J. Mireles. ISBN 0-7864-2790-6
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jan1945S.htm
https://fr.findagrave.com/memorial/60714165/thomas-nathaniel-burch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avra_Valley,_Arizona
https://www.mapquest.com/latlng/32.38,-111.3
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 17-Jan-2017 18:36 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Source, Narrative] |
| 17-Jan-2020 11:24 | Laurent Rizzotti | Updated [Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Feb-2020 16:47 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
The Aviation Safety Network is an exclusive service provided by:
Quick Links:
| ASN Home | Send Correction / Feedback |
| FSF Home | Disclaimer | Copyright |
| Contact Us | Privacy Policy |
| Press / Media |
CONNECT WITH US:
©2024 Flight Safety Foundation