| Date: | Wednesday 1 July 1942 |
| Time: | 12:00 |
| Type: |  Douglas C-49E (DC-3) |
| Owner/operator: | United States Army Air Force - USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-56093 |
| MSN: | 1976 |
| Year of manufacture: | 1937 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 21 / Occupants: 21 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed, written off |
| Category: | Accident |
| Location: | Welon, WV -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Battle Creek-WK Kellogg Regional Airport, MI (BTL/KBTL) |
| Cincinnati Municipal Airport, OH (LUK/KLUK) |
The Douglas C-49E transport plane was approaching Cincinnati-Lunken Field in poor weather conditions. The first three attempts to land failed. On the fourth attempt the speed was too high and the airplane impacted the runway violently. The captain increased engine power and decided to continue to Florence, South Carolina. A few minutes later, while cruising in bad weather conditions, the aircraft banked left and right and eventually went out of control. From a height of 250 metres, it dove into an open field and was destroyed by impact and post impact fire. All 21 occupants were killed.
According to the Board of investigations, it appears that the aircraft lost parts of wings and elevators when it dove into the ground, most probably due to forces exceeding their design.
For undetermined reasons, captain decided to continue the flight to Florence following a missed landing at Cincinnati Airport. Due to a heavy landing, the wings' and elevators' structure was slightly damaged and moderate to severe turbulences in the region also contributed to the wings' and elevator' structural weakness.
Poor discipline and judgment is also reproached to both pilots as they should complete the landing procedure at Cincinnati and perform an inspection of the aircraft, which was not performed.
Accumulation of ice on carburettors associated to a certain torsion during the hard landing is considered as a contributory factor as the carburettor did not work properly during the last segment of the flight.
Sources:
Aviation Archaeological Investigation and Research (AAIR)
Revision history:
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