1944 — Dec 25, USAAF C-47A crash in inclement weather, Roundtop Mt. ~Harrisburg, PA– 12
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 2-3-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
— 12 Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Found., Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944.
— 12 Baugher, Joseph F. Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers. 1-21-2012 revision.
— 12 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47A…Harrisburg: 12 Killed.”
— 12 Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1006.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Found., Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944:
“Date: Monday 25 December 1944
“Time: 04:27
“Type: Douglas C-47A-5-DL (DC-3)
“Operator: United States Army Air Force – USAAF
“Registration: 42-23360
“MSN: 9222
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 4 / Occupants: 4
“Passengers: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants: 23
“Total: Fatalities: 12 / Occupants: 27
“Aircraft damage: Damaged beyond repair
“Location: 5 km (3.1 mls) SW of Harrisburg, PA
“Phase: Approach (APR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Dayton-Wright Patterson AAF, OH
“Destination airport Minneapolis-Wold-Chamberlain Field, MN
“Narrative: [The source for the one paragraph description is noted as Mireles.]
Baugher: “42-23360 (c/n 9222) to USAAF Mar 15, 1943 – USA – crashed 5 km SW of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Dec 25, 1944 on flight from Dayton-Wright Patterson AAF, Ohio to Wold-Chamberlain Field, Minneapolis, MN. Enroute, the plane encountered substantial headwinds, and tried to return to Patterson Field. Weather had deteriorated and plane diverted to Harrisburg. But weather was bad at Harrisburg as well and after five unsuccessful attempts to land, flew into 900-foot hill and caught fire. 12 out of 27 onboard killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers. 1-21-2012 revision.)
Mireles: “At 0427, a Douglas C-47A crashed three miles southwest of the municipal airport at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, killing four crewmembers and eight passengers. Fifteen passengers were seriously injured.
“The airplane took off at 1440 EWT (12-24-44) from Jacksonville, Florida, on a flight to Stout Field, Indianapolis, Indiana. When the airplane arrived at Stout Field, the pilot discovered that the field was closed. The airplane diverted to Patterson Field, Ohio, and landed there at 2059 EWT The airplane was serviced and took off for Minneapolis, Minnesota, at 2221 EWT (12-24-44). The airplane was cleared to fly at 12,000 feet from Dayton, Ohio, to McCool, Indiana, and then over Chicago, Illinois, to the Madison, Wisconsin, range and then to Minneapolis. The airplane was east of Dayton when the pilot radioed Cincinnati Flight Control and reported that he was picking up 54 mph headwinds and was requesting a different altitude. Control personnel advised the pilot to return to Patterson. The pilot flew on the original course for a short time and then began to pick up ice. The pilot elected to turn back for Patterson Field at 2318, reporting that he was suffering some radio problems. The airplane returned to Patterson Field but the weather had deteriorated somewhat since departure. The pilot overshot the field on his first landing attempt. The ceiling began lowering and the pilot was given an alternate of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, which was reporting a ceiling of 2,500 feet and good visibility.
“The airplane arrived in the area of Harrisburg amid deteriorating weather conditions and was cleared for a straight-in approach on Runway 12. The airplane made five unsuccessful landing attempts and was given an alternate. The pilot replied in the negative, stating that he was low on fuel and had a good amount of ice on the airframe. The airplane made four more landing attempts and was unsuccessful. Control tower personnel had the airplane in sight and attempted to guide the airplane in, but the pilot disregarded instructions for a base leg turn that would have lined him up perfectly with Runway 12. The ceiling gradually lowered until the point where tower personnel would have the airplane in sight only intermittently. Ceiling was 700 feet agl and freezing rain had moved into the area. The airplane was observed to make its last approach, coming in at 600 feet agl with excessive speed. The airplane was seen to make a shallow turn to the right before disappearing into the weather. The tower advised the airplane to turn left and head to Middleton, Pennsylvania. The airplane did not reply although tower personnel could still hear the airplane. Moments later the airplane was heard to crash. The airplane had collided with 900-foot Reeser’s Summit at an elevation of approximately 700 feet msl. The airplane broke up and burst into flames upon impact, smashing to pieces as it careened across the terrain.” (Mireles 2006, p. 1006.)
Newspapers
Dec 25, AP: “Harrisburg, Pa., Dec. 25. – (AP) — A twin-engined C–17 Army transport carrying 27 persons crashed on Roundtop Mountain in a heavily-wooded section about three miles west of New Cumberland Airport shortly before 5 a.m. today. Fifteen injured were brought to Harrisburg General Hospital where attendants said they understood ”eight or nine” had been killed. Hospital officials said, without amplification, that most of the men were suffering from fractures and burns. Men aboard the plane were reported homeward bound on Christmas furloughs.
“The crash was discovered by firemen summoned by a woman who said there was a fire in the woods.
“Cpl. Earl Moore, in charge of the State Police Barracks here, said 27 persons were aboard the transport when it crashed about 4:30 a.m. (E.W.T.).
“Mrs. C. O. Grissinger, near whose farm the crash occurred, said there was a continuous stream of Army ambulances carrying injured persons from the scene.
“New Cumberland firemen, summoned shortly after the plane crashed, were standing by after extinguishing a blaze which Chief William A. Vogelsong said occurred after the accident.” (Oakland Tribune, CA. “27 Army Men on Christmas Leave in Plane Accident.” 12-25-1944, 1.)
Dec 26, AP: “Harrisburg, Dec. 26. (AP) — A board of Army officers today sought to fix the cause of the Christmas Day crash of an army transport plane which took the lives of 10 soldiers and injured 17 others. The Middleton Air Technical Service Command set up the board of inquiry…
“Flying in a dense fog, the big ship enroute from Jacksonville, Fla., to Minneapolis, crashed into Roundtop Mountain early yesterday apparently after several futile attempts to land at the Harrisburg airport, three miles from the Mountain peak.
“Miss Anita Ruby, who lives near the airport, told reporters she heard the plane circling about the landing field a number of times before the crash.
“Within a few seconds after the motors grew faint the last time she said. ‘we heard a sickening, muffled explosion, like a string of railroad freight cars crashing together when they begin to stop.’
“The crash occurred at 4:27 a. m. in a heavily wooded section of the mountain three miles west of Harrisburg airport at New Cumberland. ”It was the worst sight I ever saw!’ said William Vogelsong, New Cumberland fire company chief, one of the first to reach the scene. “The men were in the plane crying for help and we had to cut our way to them with an ax.” One soldier rolled about 100 feet clear of the wreckage and Vogelsong said the first thing he asked was “how far are we from Minneapolis.”
“Roads were covered with snow, ice and mud and ambulances were able to get only within a quarter of a mile of the wreck scene. Firemen and military personnel carried the injured down the mountain to ambulances.” (Indiana Evening Gazette, PA. “Plane Crash Kills 10 Near Harrisburg.” 12-26-1944, p. 1.)
Dec 27, INS: “Harrisburg, Dec. 27. – (INS) – A heavily censored official story was spread on the record today by spokesmen for the Middletown Air Technical Service Command of the crash of an Army transport near the Harrisburg airport Christmas morning which claimed the lives of 11 soldiers and resulted in injuries to 16 others. Army officials attached ‘no significance’ to the fact that seven of the dead soldiers and 14 injured came from South Dakota when the list of casualties was issued last night. None of the soldiers were Pennsylvanians….
“The huge plane, which crashed and partially burned on a heavily wooded ridge in a dense fog, was en route from Jacksonville, Fla, to Minneapolis, Minn., on a ‘special mission’ when the accident occurred. All of the men were either killed or injured.” (New Castle News, PA. “Victims of Plane Crash Nearly all from S. Dakota.” 12-27-1944, p. 14.)
Dec 28: “Middletown, Pa., Dec. 28 (UP) – The Middletown air service command continued its investigation today into the crash of an army transport plane on a hillside, one mile west of the Harrisburg airport that killed 11 soldiers and injured 16 others.
“The command announced that 2nd Lt. Eugene Hoskins, 24, pilot, Huntington Park, Calif., was among those killed and Pvt. Charles R. Zard, 18, Portland, Ore., was among the injured.
“The command said the plane was on a “special mission” and crashed while “attempting a landing” at the Harrisburg airport. A dense fog enveloped the area and visibility was described as “poor.”‘ The plane was en route from Jacksonville, Fla., to Minneapolis, Minn.” (Ogden Standard-Examiner, UT. “Army Probes Fatal Airplane Crash.” 12-28-1944, p. 3.)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1944. USAAF C-47A, 12-25-1944. Accessed 2-3-2024 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19441225-5
Baugher, Joseph F. Recent Updates to List of USAF Serial Numbers. 1-21-2012 revision. Accessed 3-15-2012 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/recentusafupdates.html
Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47A…Harrisburg: 12 Killed.” Accessed 2-3-2024 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47a-5-dl-harrisburg-12-killed
Indiana Evening Gazette, Indiana, PA. “Plane Crash Kills 10 Near Harrisburg.” 12-26-1944, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=116476633
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 3: August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.
New Castle News, PA. “Victims of Plane Crash Nearly all from S. Dakota.” 12-27-1944, 14. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=59214556
Oakland Tribune, CA. “27 Army Men on Christmas Leave in Plane Accident.” 12-25-1944, 1. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=33496812
Ogden Standard-Examiner, UT. “Army Probes Fatal Airplane Crash.” 12-28-1944, p. 3. Accessed at: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=54031739