Date:	Saturday 13 September 1952
Time:	night
Type:	Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Owner/operator:	195th BWg /90th BSqn USAF
Registration:	44-69802
MSN:	10634
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 12
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	21 miles SW of Kangnung, near Hyolchon-ni -   South Korea
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
Destination airport:	Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
B-29-60-BW 44-69802: Assigned to 6th Bomb Group. Named ‘Banana Boat’. Re-assigned to 371st Bomb Squadron, 307th Bomb Group. Re-assigned to 93rd Bomb Squadron, 19th Bomb Group, Andersen AFB, Guam. Transferred to Kadena AB, Okinawa, for Korean War Operations, and re-named ‘Bait Me’.

The heavy bomber left Kadena AFB on a bombing mission over North Korea. En route, the crew encountered severe icing conditions: the aircraft went of control, and crashed in a mountainous area located 21 miles SW of Kangnung, near Hyolchon-ni, about 34 km southwest of Gangneung. One crew member was rescued, while the eleven others were killed.

Crew of 44-69802:
2nd Lt Merle T. Ayers, KIA
1st Lt John L. Dreese, KIA
M/Sgt Alphonse Gerrato Jr., sole survivor, found and rescued
M/Sgt Ralph R. Heath, KIA
1st Lt Raymond B. Houston, KIA
A2c George D. Jones Jr., KIA
A2c Jimmie L. Kahanek, KIA
A2c James McCormick, KIA
A1c Richard T. Michel, KIA
Cpt John L. Roberts, KIA
Maj Earl J. Sanders Jr., KIA
A2c Amos C. Temples. KIA

Cause: It was reported that the loss of control was caused by an excessive accumulation of ice on wings in flight.

1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_4.h]tml
2. http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/korea/reports/air/korwald_info_1156.htm
3. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbagrp.asp?offset=21225
4. http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_damage.htm
5. http://www.dpaa.mil/portals/85/Documents/KoreaAccounting/korwald_all.pdf
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1952/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-b-29-60-bw-superfortress-near-gangneung-11-killed/]
7. http://walkofhonor.com/heath_ralph_air_force.html

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
06-Oct-2013 21:43	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Country, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
09-Nov-2014 10:45	Oezil	Updated [Operator]
12-Jun-2017 18:00	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Operator, Narrative]
12-Jun-2017 19:27	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative]
08-Feb-2021 15:23	Pink	Updated [Operator, Operator]