1943 – Jan 12, USAAF B-24D crash 3M west of Army Air Base at Alamogordo, NM — 10
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-18-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–10 AP. “Ten Killed In Plane’s Crash.” The Gallup Independent, NM. 1-13-1943, p. 1.
–10 Mireles 2006, Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents in US 1941-1945, Vol. 1, p. 236.
Narrative Information
Mireles: “At 0100 MWT, a Consolidated B-24D crashed three miles west of the Army Air Base at Alamogordo, New Mexico, killing ten crewmembers.
“The airplane and crew were scheduled to fly a bombing training mission at 2000 (1-11-43) but it was postponed when the port landing light burned out after the pilots had started the number-one engine. There was also a report of low oil pressure in the number-one engine during the runup. The airplane’s paperwork also indicated that the Automatic Flying Control Equipment (AFCE) malfunctioned while the airplane turned to the right. At 2130, a new port landing light was installed and it promptly burned out and caught fire while the airplane was taxiing away from the front of the operations building where it was parked. The fire was immediately put out and there was no serious damage to the airplane. The crew chief sent for another landing light and the crew was told to get some rest. The pilots were sent to the link trainer and the bombardier uninstalled the bombsight and returned it to storage.
“The bombardier, 2Lt. William D. Pharmer, Jr., apparently thought that the mission had been called off. He went back to the officer’s mess and then to his quarters to get some rest. He was not on board the B-24 when it crashed. At about 0030, the pilots decided that despite the inoperative landing light that they would go up for one pattern around the field and a landing prior to 0100, the time that their flying period was to conclude. At 0050, the airplane took off to the south and made a turn to the west and then began a right turn back toward the field. While flying over the extremely dark terrain, the pilots apparently turned on the AFCE at low altitude. The equipment malfunctioned, causing the B-24 to go into an uncontrolled dive. Before the pilots could recover the airplane it dove into the ground at a slight angle. The airplane smashed to pieces and exploded into flames, coming to rest about 250 yards from the initial point of impact.” (Mireles 2006, Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents in US 1941-1945, Vol. 1, p. 236.)
Newspaper
Jan 13, AP: “Alamogordo, Jan. 13 (AP) – Ten airmen lay dead today – victims of the crash of an army B-24 bomber which killed all aboard when it struck near the wastes of the White Sands National monument early yesterday. The crash happened shortly after the big craft took off from the Alamogordo base on a routine flight. There was no army comment on the cause of the crash pending an official inquiry. The dead were listed as [We put the names into separate lines.]
Second Lieutenant William F. Schulte of Denver, pilot;
Elmer Moliquex of Denver, co-pilot;
Billie D. Stultz of Ozark, Mo., and
Raymond W. Wherling of Pittsburgh, Pa.;
Sergeants Austin Pl Young of Easton, Pa.,
Paul D. Miller of Muscoda, Wis.,
Willie F. Rose of Ashlund, Ky.,
Warren S. Leeper of Blunt, S.D., and
Robert C. McCormick of Los Angeles, and
Private Floyd J. Pekrul [unclear] of Mattoon, Ill.”
(Associated Press. “Ten Killed In Plane’s Crash.” The Gallup Independent, NM. 1-13-1943, p. 1.)
Sources
Associated Press. “Ten Killed In Plane’s Crash.” The Gallup Independent, NM. 1-13-1943, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2024 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/gallup-independent-jan-13-1943-p-1/
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.