ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 85447
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| Date: | Thursday 28 February 1952 |
| Time: | day |
| Type: |  Republic F-84E Thunderjet |
| Owner/operator: | 9th FBS, 49th FBG, USAF |
| Registration: | 50-1184 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | West of Haeju, South Hwanghae Province -
 North Korea
|
| Phase: | Combat |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Taegu AB (K-2), Dong District, Daegu, South Korea |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information verified through data from accident investigation authorities |
Republic F-84E-20-RE Thunderjet 50-1184, 9th FBS, 49th FBG, USAF: Written off (destroyed) February 28 1952 when lost (failed to return) from combat operations over North Korea. Hit by ground fire, West of Haeju, South Hwanghae Province, North Korea: pilot unsuccessfully attempted bailout, and was killed
Pilot - 2nd Lt William Francis Umbarger, USAF (AFSN: AO-2222166) - posted as MIA, later KIA. According to the following biography of the pilot:
"William F. Umbarger
Rank: Second Lieutenant
Service Number: AO-2222166
Date Missing: 02/28/1952
Unit: 9th Fighter Bombardment Squadron 49th Fighter Bombardment Wing
Branch of Service: U.S. Air Force
Listed On Wall/Tablet: Honolulu Memorial
Second Lieutenant William Francis Umbarger entered the U.S. Air Force from Iowa and served with the 9th Fighter Bomber-Squadron, 49th Fighter-Bomber Group. On February 28, 1952, he was the pilot of an F-84 Thunderjet (tail number 50-1184) alongside two other aircraft on a railroad interdiction mission west of Haeju, North Korea. After completing the mission, the flight spotted and strafed a group of enemy troops and during this action, 2nd Lt Umbarger's aircraft was hit by enemy fire. Witnesses observed flames coming from the wings of his aircraft, and he was observed to bail out but his parachute failed to open completely before he landed.
A rescue helicopter was called to the scene and landed nearby, and rescue personnel identified 2nd Lt Umbarger and determined he was killed on impact with the ground. However, enemy presence forced the rescue personnel to leave the area before they could recover his body, and he remains unaccounted-for following the incident.
His remains were not recovered. His name is inscribed on the Courts of the Missing at the Honolulu Memorial. Second Lieutenant Umbarger was awarded the Air Medal, the Purple Heart, the Korean Service Medal, the United Nations Service Medal, the National Defense Service Medal, the Korean Presidential Unit Citation and the Republic of Korea War Service Medal".
Sources:
1. http://forgottenjets.warbirdsresourcegroup.org/F-84.html
2. https://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1950.html
3. https://www.aviationarchaeology.com/dbSearchAF55.asp
4. http://www.accident-report.com/Yearly/1952/5202a.html
5. https://armyaircorpsmuseum.org/missing-in-action/umbarger-william-mia-90828.cfm
6. https://www.koreanwar.org/dpaa/korwald-all.pdf
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/119114571/william-francis-umbarger
8. https://www.koreanwar.org/html/30700/korean-war-project-iowa-ao2222166-2lt-william-francis-umbarger
9. https://iowaveterans.uni.edu/veterans/william-francis-umbarger
10. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haeju
Revision history:
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