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Date: | Saturday 5 April 1952 |
Time: | |
Type: | Boeing WB-29 Superfortress |
Owner/operator: | 55th SRSqn /AWS USAF |
Registration: | 44-87756 |
MSN: | 12559 |
Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10 |
Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
Location: | 3 mi from McClellan AFB, NE of Sacramento, CA -
United States of America
|
Phase: | Approach |
Nature: | Military |
Departure airport: | McClellan AFB, California |
Destination airport: | McClellan AFB, California |
Confidence Rating: | Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
Narrative:Built as Boeing B-29-90-BW Superfortress 44-87756. Converted to WB-29. Assigned to 55th Strategic Reconnaissance Squadron, Air Weather Service, McClellan AFB, California
Written off (destroyed) April 5, 1952: The crew was returning to his base at McClellan AFB after a 19 hour mission consisting of weather reports. On final approach, on of the propellers went into reverse. The airplane went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion about three miles short of runway at McClellan AFB, North-East of Sacramento, California. The four-engine plane apparently caught fire in the air and smashed into a pasture at a 45-degree angle. The main sections of the craft remained intact, but the wreckage was a roaring mass of flames by the time crash crews from the air base reached the scene minutes later. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and a post crash fire and all 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Bruce Acebedo,
S/Sgt Carlton J. Fose,
M/Sgt Edwin M. Fultz,
Cpt Guilford A. Hopkins,
S/Sgt. Elbert E. King,
Cpt Robert L. Kizer,
2nd Lt August I. Lam,
S/Sgt Hayden C. Schulz,
T/Sgt George R. Shook,
Cpt Leonard B. Winstead.
Cause: Failure of a propeller which went into reverse on final approach.
Sources:
1. Passauer Neue Presse 7 April 1952, p.2
2.
http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/ 3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_6.htm]l
4.
http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_damage.htm 5. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1952/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-b-29-90-bw-superfortress-in-mcclellan-afb-10-killed/]
6.
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/57937396 7.
https://www.gendisasters.com/california/11789/mcclellan-air-base-ca-air-force-weather-plane-apr-1952 Revision history:
Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
05-Jun-2013 16:06 |
Uli Elch |
Added |
05-Jun-2013 16:21 |
Uli Elch |
Updated [Date, Registration, Cn, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Location, Country, Phase, Destination airport, Damage, Narrative] |
07-Oct-2014 19:32 |
TB |
Updated [Date, Aircraft type, Registration, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Damage, Narrative] |
13-Jun-2017 22:28 |
Dr. John Smith |
Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
16-Feb-2021 21:10 |
Pong |
Updated [Operator, Operator] |
17-Sep-2023 04:36 |
Ron Averes |
Updated [[Operator, Operator]] |