ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 98606
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| Date: | Tuesday 24 April 1945 |
| Time: | 09:10 LT |
| Type: |  Boeing B-29A Superfortress |
| Owner/operator: | 326th CCTS BU USAAF |
| Registration: | 42-93922 |
| MSN: | 7329 |
| Fatalities: | Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 13 |
| Aircraft damage: | Destroyed |
| Location: | Gulf of Mexico, 100 miles South West of Key West, Florida -
 United States of America
|
| Phase: | En route |
| Nature: | Military |
| Departure airport: | McDill AFB, Tampa, Florida |
| Borinquen Field AAF, Puerto Rico |
Boeing B-29A-10-BN Superfortress 42-93922: Delivered to the USAAF 2 February 1945. Assigned to Combat Crew Training Squadron, 326th Army Air Force Base Unit, MacDill AAF, Florida.
On April 24, 1945 the aircraft was scheduled for a routine cross country navigational training flight from MacDill Field, Florida west to a point over the Gulf of Mexico, then east to Borinquen Field, Puerto Rico. Aboard was the normal crew of eleven plus a Pilot Instructor and a Radio Instructor.
The clouds en-route were forecast to be 5/10 cumulus. They departed MacDill heading west. At 10,000 feet, a slight oil leak was observed in the #3 engine; the propeller on that engine ran away, the oil leak became more noticeable, and smoke was reported from the engine. Attempts to feather the propeller failed and the engine erupted in flames.
With 4000 gallons of aviation fuel in the wing tank the fire was very serious. Both fire extinguishers were used without any effect. A minute later the crew was ordered to bail out. But no one acknowledged from the rear of the plane. The pilot brought the plane down to 7,300 feet and the crew began to bail out.
Apparently the five men in the rear compartment of the plane never heard the “Bail out” order or could not escape and remained aboard the plane when it crashed into the Gulf. The wreckage of the plane was never located. Two survivors plus one body from the B-29 were taken to Key West Naval Hospital. The other ten B-29 crew members were never found.
Crew of B-29 #42-93922 (Partial List):
Radar Operator 2nd Lt. James V. Reams - MIA later KIA
Central Ring Control (turret gunner) Sgt. Thomas P. Pruffitt - MIA later KIA
Armorer/Gunner Cpl. Bob L. Smith - MIA later KIA
Electrical mechanic-gunner Sgt. Louis T. Kapusta - MIA later KIA
Tail Gunner Cpl. James C. Spears - MIA later KIA
Navigator, 2nd Lt William L. Jiler - survived
Radio Operator, Corporal William L. Phillips - KIA, body recovered
Pilot, 2nd Lt. Daniel R. Ahern - MIA later KIA
Engineer, S/Sgt. Erwin W. Beck - MIA later KIA
Bombardier, 2nd Lt. John H. Mathews - survived
Cecil Clause McKinney - instructor pilot - MIA later KIA
Navigator 2nd Lt. William L. Jiler said in his statement in the Accident Report: “I bailed out and saw the Engineer follow. I pulled my rip cord and only the flap popped off. I then pulled my chute out and threw it into the wind. It jerked open and floated down very nicely. Before I hit the water, I tried unbuckling my straps, but I could only get my chest buckle off. In the water, I struggled around and some time later, I got my chute off only to find my right leg tangled in my shroud lines. I tried unsuccessfully to free my leg. I also noticed my sea marked dye leaking out slowly but steadily. While in the water, I was surrounded by schools of fish, and observed what I thought was a shark. He was brownish and very large. He circled me for several hours and passed close by several times, but went away after several hours. The swells were fairly high all the time. On Wednesday morning, I luckily freed myself of the parachute, and began swimming due south to Cuba.”
Sources:
1. http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1942_5.html
2. [LINK NOT WORKING ANYMORE:http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Apr1945S.ht]m
3. http://home.ionet.net/~heros/Blimp.htm
4. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/8133123
Revision history:
| Date/time | Contributor | Updates |
|---|---|---|
| 11-Jul-2017 18:35 | Dr. John Smith | Updated [Time, Cn, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Other fatalities, Location, Phase, Departure airport, Destination airport, Source, Narrative] |
| 13-Feb-2020 17:46 | Iwosh | Updated [Operator, Operator] |
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