1941 — Dec 30, 3 USAAF planes crash in CA; ~Allensworth, Keller Peak/9, Oakland — 11
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 9-20-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 11 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents…[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 38-39.
Near Allensworth, Delano and Earlimart, Vultee BT-13A:
— 1 Bakersfield Californian. “Cadet at Lerdo is Killed.” 12-31-1941, p. 7.
— 1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents…[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 38-39.
Keller Peak, San Bernardino mountains, near Lake Arrowhead, Martin B-26:
— 9 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents…[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 38-39.
— 9 Oakland Tribune, CA. “Bodies of 18 Taken From Plane Wrecks.” 1-16-1942, p. 1.
Oakland, Mulford Gardens, Curtiss P-40E:
–1 Hayward Review, CA. “Army Pilot Killed…Crash…‘Fight’ Near Hayward.” 12-30-1941, 1
–1 Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents…[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 38-39.
Narrative Information
Mireles: “Oakland, California. At 1151, a Curtiss P-40E dove into the ground near the municipal airport at Oakland California, killing pilot 2Lt. John A Finkin. The airplane was part of a formation flight of five P-40 airplanes. 1Lt. Bruce F. Parcell, who was flying behind Lt. Finkin, stated to the Accident Classification Committee, ‘We were flying a string formation and I was third in a string behind Lt. Finkin. After leveling out from a dive, I saw the left wing of Lt. Finkin’s plane drop suddenly, as though it was in propeller wash from the ship ahead. Then the nose suddenly dropped and the plane whipped over to the right. I immediately pulled away to the right, losing sight of Lt. Finkin’s plane. My first thought was that he had caught propeller wash, and then his plane shipped over. I expected him to pull back up into formation and I continued looking for him for a minute or two. I then called (1Lt. James) Ferguson, the flight leader, and told him that Lt. Finkin had dropped out of the string. I do not know the altitude at the time this happened, but estimate it to have been between 3,000 and 4,000 feet. The flight reassembled and landed, and while circling I saw Lt. Finkin’s burning plane on the ground…
“Keller Peak, California. At 1642, a Martin B-26 flying in poor weather crashed into 7,882-foot Keller Peak, San Bernardino Mountains, California, killing nine fliers. The airplane had taken off from Muroc Bombing and Gunnery Range, California, with eight other B-26 type airplanes on a positioning flight to March Field, Riverside, California. The B-26 failed to arrive in March Field and was reported missing. After an extensive search effort, army search planes located the wreckage on 1-14-42. Severe winds had forced the B-26 formation into instrument conditions. 1Lt Hubert J. Konopacki stated to investigators, ‘I was leading nine B-26 airplanes on a flight from Muroc to March Field, California. Departure from Muroc was approximately 1620. When over Cajon Pass, en route to March Field, at 8,500 feet, I encountered a severe downdraft and was forced to go on instruments for about two minutes. Instructions were given for a loose formation prior to take-off. At the time instrument flight was undertaken there was distance of approximately ten miles between first and the last elements. The sudden violence of the downdraft and subsequent dropping into the clouds did not warrant sufficient time to issue further instructions. Approximately two minutes after going into the clouds, I broke out at 9,000 feet riding an updraft. The lowest altitude I dropped to was 7,500 feet. When I broke out of the clouds, I was approximately three miles southeast of March Field. A quick glance around showed me that I had two wingmen with me and the other flights were coming through. It was not until after I had landed that I found a ship was missing. The ship was number 40-1475…flying on my left wing.’ Killed in the crash were:
2Lt. Frank A Kobal, Queens, New York, pilot;
2Lt. Joseph B. Maloney, Waterbury, Connecticut, co-pilot;
TSgt Waldo Jensen, Langley Field, Virginia;
Sgt. Roger F. Organ, Springfield, Ohio;
Pvt. William R. Chinn, Ironton, Pennsylvania, bombardier;
Pvt. Vernon H. Englebrecht, Fort Wayne, Indiana, engineer;
Pvt. George C. May, Foxworth, Mississippi, radio operator;
Pvt. Jack C. Shirley, Lavonia, Georgia, gunner;
Pvt. Robert N. Enyeart, Columbus, Ohio.
“…Delano, California. At 1930, a Vultee BT-13A on a night navigation flight inadvertently entered instrument conditions and crashed ten miles north of Delano, California, killing Aviation Cadet George E. Werner, Jr. The Accident Classification Committee stated: ‘The student flew into a rain cloud, became confused and crashed. This accident occurred during a student individual night navigation flight of twenty-five airplanes flying a triangular course from Lerdo, California, to Porterville, California, Lost hills and return. Inasmuch as other airplanes preceded and followed this student pilot on this flight without encountering difficulties with the weather, it is believed that the pilot lost control of the airplane while attempting to fly through a rain shower’.” (Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents…[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, pp. 38-39.)
Newspaper
Near Allensworth, Delano and Earlimart: “Crashing in a blinding rain squall, Cadet George Edwin Werner, Jr., 22, of Lerdo Field air school, was instantly killed early last night [Dec 30] when his BT-13_A basic training plane crashed 25 miles southwest of Tulare.[1] Cadet Werner, of Cincinnati. Ohio, was on a routine training flight when his plane entered the local storm.
“The Vultee training plane he was flying was demolished. Werner’s body was thrown clear and was not found until midnight, several hours after the accident.
“State Patrolmen J. R. Burum and Robert Brown, lenders of the search party, came upon the wreck 4 miles south and 6 miles west of Earlimart.[2]
“Reports from the Lerdo Field flying school[3] said Werner had been on a triangular night–training flight from Lerdo to Porterville to Lost Hills and was traveling the Porterville-Lost Hills leg when the accident occurred.
“Residents of the Allensworth district in the southwestern corner of Tulare county[4] heard the crash about 7:40 p. m.
“Werner, whose home was at Cincinnati, Ohio, was an upper classman, a member of class 42-C, and was scheduled to enter the advanced stage of training in the early part of January.”
(Bakersfield Californian. “Cadet at Lerdo is Killed.” 12-31-1941, p. 7.
Dec 30: “A United States Army pursuit pilot, identified through a ring as “Lieut. A. Finken,” was burned beyond recognition shortly before noon Tuesday when his P-40 fighting pursuit ship crashed out of a “dog-fighting” formation at 132nd avenue and Mulford Gardens. Crash of the plane dug a trench more than five feet deep and several feet in area.
“No information was available from Army sources prior to Review press time, but it was learned from the eye witnesses that eight similar ships had been simulating air fighting tactics. “They had been circling around in a ‘dog fight’,” one young observer reported. ‘Suddenly there was a cloud of white smoke pouring out of the side of one ship, and it slipped out of the formation, wobbled from side to side and finally slipped off into the field. It appeared as though the pilot attempted to ‘pancake’ and his ship ‘dug into’ the field and then exploded,” Donald Jeffries, 12 of 2330 West 133rd avenue, said. ‘As soon as it hit, the ship burst into flames and exploded,’ he said. ‘The wing was tossed about 100 feet to one side and the body of the ship moved ahead about 30 feet in the other direction.’
“Wayne Limbertson, 2223 West 132nd avenue, adjacent to the crash scene, stated that he was standing on the roof top and had been watching the planes in their formation. “One came out of the formation when about 500 feet in the air and wobbled from side to side,” he said. “Suddenly it slipped to the side and crashed into the soft I ground and exploded.”….” (Hayward Daily Review, CA. “Army Pilot Killed in Crash During ‘Fight’ Near Hayward.” 12-30-1941, p. 1.)
Jan 16: “The bodies of 18 Air Corps fliers, victims of two separate bombing plane crashes, were removed from the wreckage today and inquiry boards sought the cause of the wrecks. The Western defense command at San Francisco disclosed nine officers and men died late Wednesday when a medium bomber crashed and burned in brush-covered hills 13 miles southeast of Boise, Ida.
“It also revealed that a twin-motored bomber that disappeared December 30 in the San Bernardino Mountains had been found near Lake Arrowhead with all nine of its occupants dead.
“Search still is under way for an Army transport plane bearing Maj. Gen. Herbert A. Dargue, five other officers and two enlisted men, that disappeared in the Tehachapi Mountains December 12….
“In Southern California, the other bomber was first sighted from the air on the northeast slope of Keller Peak between Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake. It had not burned. A ground searching party from March Field recovered seven of nine bodies, six of which were identified… The other two bodies probably will be located today. They are believed covered with snow.
“The bomber was flying from the Muroc bombing range to March Field with seven other planes when it ran into bad weather. The formation flew through Cajon Pass and when clear of the overcast, one plane was missing….” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “Bodies of 18 Taken From Plane Wrecks.” 1-16-1942, p. 1.)
Sources
Bakersfield Californian. “Cadet at Lerdo is Killed.” 12-31-1941, p. 7. Accessed 10-8-2012 at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=156326388
Hayward Review, CA. “Army Pilot Killed in Crash During ‘Fight’ Near Hayward.” 12-30-1941, 1. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=50251151
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006
Oakland Tribune, CA. “Bodies of 18 Taken From Plane Wrecks.” 1-16-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=34488851
[1] Delano is about 32 miles southeast of Tulare
[2] Delano is about 8 miles southeast of Earlimart.
[3] Lerdo is about 15 miles southeast of Delano and about 8 miles northwest of Bakersfield
[4] Allensworth is about 6 miles west and about a mile south of Earlimart.