Date:	Monday 10 January 1944
Time:	16:30
Type:	Vultee BT-13A Valiant
Owner/operator:	72nd AAFFTD USAAF
Registration:	41-1474
MSN:
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 2 / Occupants: 2
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	southeast of Waynesboro, Georgia -   United States of America
Phase:	En route
Nature:	Training
Departure airport:
Destination airport:

Narrative:
At 1630 EWT, the Vultee BT-13A 41-1474 of 72nd AAFFTD spun into the ground southeast of Waynesboro, Georgia, and 20 miles southeast of its base of Bush Field, Augusta, Georgia, killing civilian instructor Frank Edward Gustisha, Jr., and student air cadet Floyd LeRoy Hazen, Jr. The airplane was observed gliding in a wings level attitude at about 300 feet above ground level. The engine was heard to "cough" twice, but there was no perceptible engine noise. The airplane then entered a turn to the left. After about 180 degrees of turn, the airplane stalled and entered a spin. The airplane described one and a half turns of spin before it smashed into the ground, killing the occupants instantly.

Frank Gustisha was of Waukegan, Illinois, and was buried there. Hazen was of Coloma, Michigan and was 21 years old, being born on 20 September 1922. He enlised in the air service on 12 December 1942.

"Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945. Volume 2, July 1943-July 1944", by Anthony J. Mireles. ISBN 0-7864-2789-2
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jan1944S.htm
Southern Cross, 22 January 1944 (available online at [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://scr.stparchive.com/Archive/SCR/SCR01221944p27.php)]
Dixon Evening Telegraph, 13 January 1944 (available online at http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/85486596/)/
The News-Palladium, 13 January 1944 (available online at http://www.newspapers.com/newspage/21099071/)/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waynesboro,_Georgia
http://www.maplandia.com/united-states/georgia/burke-county/waynesboro/

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
11-Jan-2017 16:09	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Nature, Source, Narrative]
13-Feb-2020 18:13	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Operator]