ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 152767
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| Date: | Friday 11 December 1953 |
| Time: | 14:37 |
| Type: |  Convair B-36D Peacemaker |
| Owner/operator: | 492th BSqn /7th BWg USAF |
| Registration: | 44-92071 |
| MSN: | 68 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 9 / Occupants: 9 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | 6.2 miles WSW of Biggs AFB, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | Approach |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Carswell AFB, TX |
| Biggs AFB, TX | |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
This aircraft was orginally built as B-36B-15-CF, but later converted to a B-36D.
The 7th BW at Carswell AFB was equipped with B-36H and transferred all B-36D to 95th BW at Biggs AFB, but the last B-36D crashed on its transfer flight. The pilot Herman F. Gerick attempted an approach in poor visibility and out of GCA radar contact when the aircraft crashed at 5,200 foot elevation into the west side of the Franklin Mountains near El Paso, TX. The crash investigation points to pilot disorientation as primary cause, but a contributing factor could also have been confusing GCA instructions.
All nine crew members were killed:
Pilot/Aircraft commander Lt.Col. Herman F. Gerick
Co-pilot Maj. George C. Morford
Navigator Maj. Douglas P. Miner
Flight engineer 1st Lt. Cary B. Fant
492nd BS Staff Flight engineer 1st Lt. James M. Harvey, Jr.
Radio operator MSgt. Royal Freeman
Gunner A/1c Edwin D. Howe
Gunner A/2c Frank Silvestri
Passenger 1st Sgt. Dewey Taliaferro
Gerick, Morford, Miner, Freeman, Howe and Silvestri had parachuted to safety in the crash of B-36H 51-5719 in February 1953.
Sources:
http://www.angelfire.com/dc/jinxx1/B36Crash/B-36D_44-92071_Crash.html
http://www.7bwb-36assn.org/b36genhistpg3.html
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 25-Jan-2013 08:02 | Tetrapack | Added |
| 26-Apr-2021 16:47 | Cliford | Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Operator] |
Corrections or additions? ... Edit this accident description
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