1942 – April 16, Two USAAF Planes Crash, Potomac River mouth; MacDill Field, FL–  10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 6-22-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  10  Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 73.

—  10  Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 73.

Plane Crash, USAAF Douglas DB-7B out of Langley Field, VA, mouth of Potomac River.

— 3  Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 73.

— 3  Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 73.

— 3  The Bee, Danville VA. “Bomber and Crew of Three Plunge into Chesapeake.” 4-17-1942, 8.

Plane Crash, USAAF Lockheed A-29B, MacDill Field, FL

—  7  Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 73.

—  7  Mireles. Fatal [AAF] Aviation Accidents...[US]…V1: 1941–June 1943. 2006, p. 73.

—  7  Morning Herald, Hagerstown, MD. “Seven Fatally Hurt in Crash.” 4-17-1942, p. 1.

 

Potomac River mouth/Chesapeake Bay, VA

 

Mireles: “4-16-42A. Potomac River, Virginia. At 1118, a Douglas DB-7B crashed into the Potomac River at its mouth six miles north of Burgess Store, Virginia, killing three fliers. Investigation revealed the crash occurred when the subject airplane attempted an Immelmann type maneuver while in simulated combat with three U.S. Navy Douglas SBD type airplanes. The subject airplane was part of a flight of three DB-7B airplanes that were on a familiarization flight. The flight leader decided to engage in simulated combat with the navy airplanes. Both formations began circling with each other at an altitude of about 1,500 feet with the army airplanes on the outside of the circle. The number three DB-7 pulled up in a half loop, trying to roll out at the top. The subject airplane stalled during the maneuver and spun to the left and into the water. The airplane and the bodies of the crew could not be located and have not been recovered. Killed in the crash were:

 

2Lt. Ralph C. Graves, pilot;

TSgt. Norman G. Simmons, radio operator;

SSgt. Julius Young, bombardier.”

 

April 17: “Langley Field, Va., April 17. – (AP) – Crash crews continued without success today their search for an army bomber and its three man crew which fell and sunk in the Chesapeake bay Thursday [April 16].  The Langley Field public relations office said that the plane apparently slipped into the water while banking on a turn and its occupants had no chance to escape.  The men lost were listed as

 

Second Lieutenant Ralph Graves, about 22, Ithaca, N. Y., pilot;

Technical Sergeant Norman G. Simmons, about 33, Manchester, N. H., and

Staff Sergeant, Julius Young, about 23, Venice, Calif.

 

“The plane was a twin-engine bomber and the crash scene was about 80 [unclear] miles north of here. The men were on a routine flight, Langley officials reported.” (The Bee, Danville, VA. “Bomber and Crew of Three Plunge into Chesapeake.” 4-17-1942, 8.)

 

MacDill Field, FL

 

Mireless: “4-16-42B, MacDill Field, Florida. At 1212, a Lockheed A-29B crashed while trying to take off from MacDill Field, Tampa, Florida, killing the crew of seven. The aircraft, pilot of the commanding officer of the 3^rd Mapping Squadron, Maj. James H. C. Houston, was one of a flitght of three A-29s taking off on a secret mission overseas. The airplane became airborne about half way down the runway in a tail-heavy attitude. Witnesses reported that the engines were going ‘full blast’ and that the tail wheel did not leave the ground until the rest of the airplane was in the air. The airplane then climbed steeply until it stalled about 150 feet above ground level, falling off to the right about 90 degrees. The airplane recovered momentarily before stalling again and falling off to the left, turning about 270 degrees before striking the ground nose first and bursting into flames. Investigation revealed that all of the airplanes in the flight were at least 600 pounds overweight and that the center of gravity of the two remaining airplanes was two feet aft of the allowable limit. All of the airplanes were fitted with an unauthorized wooden rack in the dorsal turret that held four large non-airplane type oxygen cylinders that Maj. Houston insisted that he would need at his destination. Additionally, each airplane carried two large non-airplane type oxygen cylinders in the aft gun tub. Engineering officers at MacDill Field had refused Maj. Houston’s request to install the oxygen cylinders and racks in the airplanes, citing the dangerous tail-heavy and the opinion that the non-regulation oxygen cylinders posed a safety risk. Maj. Houston declared that he would install the racks himself and that he did not need the engineering staff’s help to complete his mission. Data does not indicate the squadron’s destination. [Then notes the names of the crew, found below in AP article.]

 

“The two other A-29s, which did not take-off…were ordered to abort their scheduled mission after the crash.”

 

April 17: “Tampa, Fla., April 16 (AP) – Seven men were killed today in a plane crash at MacDill Field in the first fatal accident at the field since I was established.  The victims were:

 

Maj. H. C. Houston, 32, Baltimore, Md.

First Lieut. Floyd Messer, 41, Myakka City, Fla.

Tech. Sgt. Sam F. Riegger, Greenville, Texas.

Tech. Sgt. Malcolm Mathis, Elba, Ala.

Sgt. Edgar F. Mathews, Albertville, Ala.

Corp. Stephen F. A. Wysocki, Milwaukee.

[Tech. Sgt. Charles Mull, 25, Brevard, NC (Wellsboro Agitator, PA. “Charles Mull.” 4-22-1942, 1.)]

 

“MacDill Field officers said the plane crashed during a takeoff from a height of about 20 feet shortly after noon.  All on board were killed instantly.  Major Houston, who was piloting the plane, was commander of a photographic squadron at the field.  He had been a flying officer since 1932.”  (Morning Herald, Hagerstown, MD. “Seven Fatally Hurt in Crash.” 4-17-1942, 1.)

 

Sources

 

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

 

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.

 

Morning Herald, Hagerstown, MD.  “Seven Fatally Hurt in Crash.” 4-17-1942, p. 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=94174658

 

The Bee, Danville, VA. “Bomber and Crew of Three Plunge into Chesapeake.” 4-17-1942, 8. Accessed at:  http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=91380800