ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178359
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| Date: | Wednesday 12 March 1952 |
| Time: | 14:35 |
| Type: |  Boeing TB-29 Superfortress |
| Owner/operator: | 3511th CCTSqn USAF |
| Registration: | 44-62223 |
| MSN: | |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 8 |
| Other fatalities: | 7 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Gus Krause Ranch, 19 miles north of San Antonio, Texas -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | Randolph AFB, Universal City, TX |
| Confidence Rating: |  Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources |
B-29 44-62223: Modified to TB-29. Assigned to 3510th Maintenance and Supply Squadron, 3510th Maintenance and Supply Group (ATC), Randolph AFB, Texas. The aircraft was assigned to Project Banshee, the use of unmanned B-29 aircraft to remotely drop atomic weapons
This aircraft was rammed by another B-29, 44-87774 on March 12, 1952 near San Antonio, Texas. Neither aircraft survived the mid-air collision and all personnel were killed. Results of the collision were such that the tail section of the rammed aircraft, No. 44-62223, separated from the fuselage, rendering this aircraft uncontrollable.
Aircraft No. 44-62223 was seen to be flying in a near westerly direction, at an estimated altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, when aircraft No. 44-87774 approached from the left rear, on a heading estimated to be 20 to 30 degrees greater than the first aircraft.
The aircraft approaching B-29 No. 44-62223 appeared to pass completely underneath the rammed aircraft, then continued on course with no apparent damage or difficulty. The rammed aircraft maintained course and altitude momentarily before dropping off on the right wing, followed by a spin estimated to be one and one-fourth turns, leveling off momentarily, then rolling onto its back. From this inverted position the aircraft was observed to go into a dive.
The severed tail section of this aircraft floated to the ground with very little damage on impact. Fragments of both aircraft were observed falling through the air immediately following the collision. Both planes crashed and all personnel were killed in this mid-air collision. This aircraft had a crew of eight. The cost of this aircraft loss (just this one B-29) was $783,143.00. The fatalities on 44-62223 were as follows:
Arnold, MSgt. Clyde L. - instructor engineer
Bertog, Cpl. Wallace L. - engineer
Jameson, Pfc. Donald L. - student gunner
Johnson, 1Lt. Lester H. - pilot
Kerner, Pvt. Sanford L. "Sandy" - student gunner
Padgett, Maj. Robert W. - student aircraft commander
Reynolds, Pfc. William E. - student gunner
Scott, 1Lt. Dale W. - instructor pilot
See B-29 44-87774 for the list of fatalities on that aircraft.
Sources:
1. El Siglo de Torreón 13 March 1952, p.9
2. http://archives.chicagotribune.com/1952/03/13/page/1/article/15-die-as-two-b-29s-collide
3. http://www.thekwe.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_mid_air_collision_texas.htm
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/297978
5. http://www.thekwe.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_damage.htm
6. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_4.h]tml .
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 06-Aug-2015 16:21 | TB | Added |
| 10-Jun-2017 19:45 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Aircraft type, Registration, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 10-Jun-2017 19:51 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Source, Narrative] |
| 02-Feb-2021 15:51 | Anon. | Updated [Operator, Location, Departure airport, Operator] |
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