Date:	Tuesday 23 October 1951
Time:	09:45 LT
Type:	Boeing B-29A Superfortress
Owner/operator:	307th BWg /372nd BSqn USAF
Registration:	44-61940
MSN:	11417
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 13
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	in Yellow Sea, 6 miles off Chinnampo, South Pyongan -   North Korea
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan
Destination airport:
Confidence Rating:	Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources

Narrative:
Boeing B-29A-55-BN 44-61940: Assigned to 97th Bomb Group. Named ‘Miss North Carolina’. Re-Assigned to 372nd Bomb Squadron, 307th Bomb Group, MacDill AFB, Florida. Damaged 27 October 1948 in a ground collision with B-29 44-86422 at RAF Waddington, UK. Repaired and returned to service. Re-assigned to 372nd BS, 307th BW, USAF and deployed to Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan, for Korean War Operations.

Written off (destroyed) in combat operations on October 23, 1951: While taking part to a bombing mission over the Namsi Airfield, MiG-15s attacked and shot the left wing off the plane. When the plane engine caught fire, the B-29 headed for safety, but before it could get back to base the crew had to bail out in the Yellow Sea, six miles off Chinnampo, South Pyongan, North Korea. According to the official USAF Combat report (see link #5):

"About 09:45 hours, 23 October 1951, Lt Black's plane was attacked by MIG-15's after turning from its target, Namsi Airfield. The number-two engine was hit and caught fire. When last seen, the plane was disappearing into the clouds below, but was still under control."

Of the crew of 13, one was picked up after landing in the Yellow Sea by an Australian destroyer, one man's body was found the next day washed ashore. Five of the men were taken prisoners of war and returned in 1953. The remaining men were not heard from again.

Crew Members of 44-61940:
Black, Captain Wayne Forrest - MIA (radio operator) - taken POW, reported died in captivity
Botter, T/Sgt William Joseph - MIA/POW (flight engineer)
Cogswell, Captain Robert Whitney - MIA/POW - promoted to Major whilst still a POW: His body was never recovered, and on 28 February 1954 the US Air Force declared him Killed in Action (KIA)
Foulks, Captain James Arch Jr - MIA/KIA (aircraft commander) - remains not recovered
Coffey, Corporal Arthur G. - (tail gunner) KIA - remains recovered by a crash boat near Taehwado Bay, Korea.
Beissner, 1st Lt. Fred Jr. - (rescued at sea) co-pilot (died July 28, 2015)
Fuehrer, S/Sgt Alios Anton - MIA/POW: listed as Missing in Action and was presumed dead (KIA) on February 28, 1954
Jones, Sgt James H. - POW returned 1953 (left gunner)
Kisser, T/Sgt Kenneth E. - POW returned 1953 (tail gunner)
MacClean, Corporal Gerald Charles - POW returned 1953 (right gunner)
Mooradian, 1st Lt. Ara - POW/MIA (bombardier)
Strine, TSgt John T. - POW returned 1953 (radio operator)
Wentworth, 1st Lt. Lloyd G. - POW returned 1953 (navigator)

3rd ARSq SA-16 Dumbos participated in SAR effort, a total of approx 233 SAR missions flown, surface vessels impeded by rough seas.

1. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_4.h]tml
2. http://www.thekwe.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_damage.htm
3. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.baaa-acro.com/1951/archives/crash-of-a-boeing-b-29a-55-bn-superfortress-off-nampo-7-killed/]
4. http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/b29s/p_b29s_losses_personnel.htm
5. http://www.koreanwar2.org/kwp2/usaf/afm_200_25_mia_korea.pdf
6. http://www.kwva.org/graybeards/gb_08/gb_0804/gb_0804_final.pdf
7. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/118887092

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
01-Apr-2013 12:15	Uli Elch	Updated [Cn, Location, Country, Phase, Source, Narrative]
15-Jun-2017 19:49	Dr. John Smith	Updated [Time, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
23-Nov-2020 13:06	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Operator]