1945 — Apr 20, USAAF C-47 structural failure in thunderstorm/crash ~Sweetwater, TX–25
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard for: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/ Last edit 12-8-2023.
— 25 Aviation Safety Network, Accident Description, USAAF, Sweetwater TX, April 20, 1945.
— 25 Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-13297 to 24339). 11-7-2011 rev.
— 25 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Sweetwater…”
— 25 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 30.
— 25 Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, 1082.
Narrative Information
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 73:
On April 20, 1945, a United States Army Air Force Douglas C-47-DL departed Midland Army Air Field, Texas for Nashville Metropolitan Airport, Tennessee with a crew of 5 and 20 occupants. After takeoff from Midland Army Air Field, the C-47 climbed to an altitude of 5000 feet. The flight entered an area with an active thunderstorm. A failure of the elevator led to a break-up of the airframe in flight. The plane crashed about 4 miles south of Sweetwater, Texas leaving no survivors. (ASN, USAAF, Sweetwater TX, April 20, 1945.)
Baugher: “Douglas C-47-DL….18451 (c/n 4513) to USAAF Jul 26, 1942 – Broke up in thunderstorm near Sweetwater, TX Apr 20, 1945. 25 killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-13297 to 24339). 11-7-2011 rev.)
Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives:
“Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945 at 0640 LG [local time]
“Type of aircraft: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
“Operator: USAAF
“Registration: 41-18451
“Flight Phase: Flight
“Flight Type: Military
“Survivors: No
….
“Schedule: Midland – Nashville
“MSN: 4513
“YOM: 1942
“Location: Sweetwater, Texas
….
“Crew on board: 3
“Crew fatalities: 3
“Pax on board: 22
“Pax fatalities: 22
“Other fatalities: 0
“Total fatalities: 25
‘Circumstances: Enroute, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with thunderstorm
activity and turbulence. While cruising at an estimated altitude of 5,000 feet,
the twin engine aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and
crashed in a field located 4 miles south of Sweetwater. All 25 occupants
were killed.
“Crew
2nd Lt Richard Britton Arnold,
1st Lt James A. Bailey,
1st Lt David L. Bennell,
Sgt Robert H. Blaess,
Cpl Daniel B. Boone,
Pfc Grady O. Boyd,
Pfc Kenneth W. Carlson,
Cpl Vincent R. DiSterano,
Sgt William T. Downey,
Sgt William H. Edwards,
1st Lt Leonard K. Epperly,
Pvt Robert L. Fuller,
Sgt Robert C. Goodenough,
Pfc William A. Green,
Cpl D. E. Jennelle,
1st Lt Samuel Kamrass,
Pfc James D. McLaughlin,
1st Lt Chester W. Mrozek,
1st Lt Frank A. Prete,
Cpt John R. Rawls,
1st Lt Joseph A. Scieszka,
Cpl Myron V. Testement,
1st Lt James H. Wallace Jr.,
Cpl Virgil E. Walston,
1st Lt Robert L. West.
“Probable cause: It appears that severe turbulence caused the elevators and stabilizers to fail
in flight. In such condition, the aircraft was unflyable.”
Gero:
“Date: 20 April 1945 (c. 06:40)….
“Location: Near Sweetwater, Texas, US
“Operator: US Army Air Forces
“Aircraft type: Douglas C-47 (41-18451)
“…the twin-engine transport crashed, exploded and burned in a pasture approximately 3½ miles (6km) south of the town [Sweetwater], and all 25 American servicemen aboard were killed, including a crew of five.
“Having taken off earlier from Midland Army Air Field, also in Texas, on an interstate service to Nashville, Tennessee, the aircraft had been assigned to a cruising altitude of 5,000ft (1,500m) before it disintegrated while flying in an area of thunderstorm activity. The initial structural failure of its elevator was followed by a more general break-up of the C47. Though not officially reported, severe turbulence was undoubtedly a factor in the accident.” (Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 30.)
Mireles: “At 0640 CWT, a Douglas C-47 flying in poor weather crashed four miles southeast of Avenger Field, Sweetwater, Texas, killing three crewmembers and 22 passengers. The airplane took off at 0553 CWT from Midland Army Air Field, Midland, Texas, on a personnel flight to Nashville, Tennessee.
“The airplane, flying at about 5,000 feet msl, encountered a line of powerful thunderstorms near Sweetwater. At about this time the starboard propeller was apparently feathered. Investigation revealed that the airplane was heading in a northerly direction and it was speculated that the pilot was attempting to get to Avenger Field. The airplane apparently encountered very turbulent conditions or had entered an unusual attitude while flying in instrument conditions. The airplane was stressed beyond its design limitations, causing the failure and separation of the elevators and horizontal stabilizers and the progressive failure of the tail. The airplane went out of control and the tail section twisted off. The port wing failed and separated as the airplane spun crazily to earth, and the starboard wing separated just before the airplane smashed to the ground nose first.
“Investigation revealed that both propellers had separated from their engines as the airplane spun to earth. Fabric from the elevators and pieces of the horizontal stabilizers were found about two miles from the scene of the main crash. Pieces of the tail section and the port wing were found scattered over an area of several hundred yards surrounding the main point of impact. Investigators noted that the airplane had logged about 4,000 hours of glider tug operations at South Plains Army Air Field, Lubbock, Texas, during the course of the war.” (Mireles 2006, 1082.)
Sources
Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 73. USAAF Douglas C-47-DL (DC-3) crash 4.1 mls SE of Sweetwater TX, 20 April 1945. Accessed 12-8-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19450420-2
Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-13297 to 24339). Nov 7, 2011 revision. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_3.html
Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Sweetwater: 25 Killed.” Accessed 12-8-2023 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47-dl-sweetwater-25-killed
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 3: August 1944 – December 1945). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006.