ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 98596
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: | Friday 26 January 1945 |
| Time: | |
| Type: |  Boeing B-29A Superfortress |
| Owner/operator: | 411th BSqn /502nd BGp USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-93842 |
| MSN: | 7249 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | near Fort Riley, 1 mile South of Ogden, Kansas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Grand Island AAF, Nebraska |
| Marshall AAF, Fort Riley, Kansas (KFRI) |
Boeing B-29A-1-BN Superfortress 42-93842: Delivered to USAAF 28 June 1944. Assigned to 242nd (Operational Training Unit, Very Heavy), 17th Bombardment Training Wing, Grand Island AAF, Nebraska. Flown by a crew of the 411th Bomb Squadron, 502nd Bomb Group.
On 26 January 1945, the crew took off to fly a simulated 3,000 mile mission to home base in Grand Island, Nebraska. The route was to a point 20 miles north of Jamaica then to the bombing range of Cayos Travieso where they made two bombing runs at 9,000 feet. They then climbed to 20,000 feet by the time the aircraft reached Batista, remaining at this altitude while camera bombing Havana, Key West, Miami, and Morrison.
Soon after leaving Morrison the airplane commander foresaw the approach of a weather front, so while en-route to Jacksonville he climbed from 20,000 feet to 26,000 feet. It was here also that he encountered severe head winds. By the time they reoriented themselves at Birmingham there were at 19,000 feet.
They then dropped down to 8,000 feet and were about 50 to 60 degrees North West of Kansas City when the co-pilot asked to see the readings on the fuel gauge. The fuel appeared alarmingly low. About ten minutes later, number one and four engines stopped so power was increased on number two and three engines.
As they were flying over the undercast, the pilot asked the co-pilot to tune in the Fort Riley range. Homing on Fort Riley necessitated taking up a heading of 180 degrees. The pilot dropped from 8,000 feet to 2,000 feet; at 3,000 feet they broke through the undercast. They spotted the range station and immediately thereafter number two engine cut out.
Full boost was given to number three engine but it would not support the plane. They attempted to put down flaps, when a crash was inevitable, but the flaps did not appear to work. The crew had been notified by the co-pilot twenty minutes prior to the crash to take up crash positions so that they were in their proper places when the crash occurred near Fort Riley, 1 mile South of Ogden, Kansas. The airspeed on impact was estimated at 100 miles per hour.
The crash cost six lives:
Captain George P. Erwin, pilot
2nd Lt. Edwin E. Courter
2nd Lt. Donald C. Tarr
S/Sgt. Francis J. Merdan
S/Sgt. Anthony P. Tomaini
Corporal Joseph F. Horn, Radio Operator
Sources:
1. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.html
2. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/19656857
3. http://www.315bw.org/502bg_01_45.html
4. http://ww35.usafunithistory.com/PDF/0900/911%20AIR%20REFUELING%20SQ.pdf
5. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jan1945S.htm
6. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/27357690
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 30-Jun-2017 22:54 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 22-Mar-2020 19:25 | DG333 | 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