Date:	Wednesday 6 August 1952
Time:
Type:	Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Owner/operator:	345th BSqn /98th BGp USAF
Registration:	44-62237
MSN:	11714
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 12
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	6.5 miles South-South-East of Yokota AB, Fussa, Tama Area -   Japan
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Yokata AB, Fussa, Tama Area, Western Tokyo, Japan (RJTY)
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Boeing B-29A-70-BN Superfortress 44-62237 Assigned to 345th Bomb Squadron, 98th Bomb Group, Spokane AFB, WA. Deployed to Yokota AB, Japan. Nose Artwork ‘Eight Ball’. Re-Named ‘Tondemonai’. Damaged in an Accident 26 November 1951 landing at NAS Kwajalein. Repaired and returned to service.

Written off (destroyed) in combat operations on August 6, 1952: After takeoff from Yokota AFB, Tokyo, Japan, at an altitude of 150 feet following take-off on a combat mission, #4 engine caught on fire. At an altitude of 500 feet, #2 engine caught fire. Bombs were salvoed. Then two explosions from #2 engine occurred. The aircraft went out of control. The crew started bailing out at an altitude of approximately 650 feet. Of the twelve crew, there were three fatalities. The final flight crew members were:

Bowman, 1st Lt. Howard L. (pilot)
Coyne, 1st Lt. Kerrin (gunner)* - died January 15, 2008
Funk, 1st Lt. Orville (radar operator) - fatality
Gallant, 2nd Lt. C.W. Jr.
Galligan, Edward (left gunner)
Gardner, Capt. Richard A, (aircraft commander)
Hassing, Capt. Doug H. (navigator)
Hathaway, S/Sgt. James W. "Wally" (flight engineer) - fatality (remained in aircraft)
Higley, A/1c Howard M. (radio operator) (fatality)
Quackenbush, 1st Lt. Bob (bombardier)
Rotolo, A/1c Stephan (right gunner)
Steele, A/1c William (CFC gunner)

Cause: Fire and explosion on two engines after takeoff.

1. El Litoral 8 August 1952, p.1
2. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_4.h]tml
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1952/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-b-29a-70-bn-superfortress-near-yokota-afb-3-killed/]
4. http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_damage.htm
5. http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/dbaloc.asp?Loc=mi&offset=22275

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
02-Feb-2015 20:05	TB	Added
12-Jun-2017 23:45	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Cn, Operator, Total occupants, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Embed code, Narrative]
31-Jan-2021 16:24	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]