1945 – June 11, USAAF B-29 structural failure in thunderstorm, crash ~Rush Springs, OK–10

Last edit Dec 4, 2023 by Wayne Blanchard for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–10  Aviation Safety Network. USAAF B-29 crash near Rush Springs OK, 6-11-1945.

–10  Mireles 2006. Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents…US…, V3, Aug 1944-Dec 1945, p. 1110.

Narrative Information

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 94 (44-61613):

“Date:                          Monday 11 June 1945

“Type:                         Boeing B-29 Superfortress

“Owner/operator:        420th BSqn / 382nd BGp USAAF

“Registration:              44-61613

“MSN:                         11090

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10

….

“Location:                   6 miles West of Rush Springs, Grady County, Oklahoma – USA

‘Phase:                         En route

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      Smoky Hill AAF, Salina, Kansas

“Destination airport:   Smoky Hill AAF, Salina, Kansas

“Narrative:                 

 

“…. Written off (destroyed) when crashed 11 June 1945, 6 miles West of Rush Springs, Grady County, Oklahoma… All ten crew on board were killed. Airmen who perished on B-29 #44-61613 were:

Carson, John H ~ 2nd Lt, Maryland
Collopy, Robert J ~ 1st Lt, New York
Coveyou, James A ~ Corporal, Michigan
Eaves, Thomas B ~ Corp, Oklahoma
Farmer, James E ~ Flying Officer, Mississippi
Fitzpatrick, Matthew J ~ Pfc, Maryland
Groves, James L ~ 1st Lt, Pilot, California
Hunt, James A ~ Pfc, Oklahoma
Smallwood, W C ~ 2nd Lt, California
Weilep, Julius B ~ 2nd Lt, Wisconsin.”

 

Mireles: “At 0820 CWT, a Boeing B-29 flying in poor weather suffered a catastrophic structural failure and crashed six miles west of Rush Springs, Oklahoma, killing ten fliers. The B-29 was part of a three-ship flight that took off at 0636 CWT from Smoky Hill Army Air Field, Salina, Kansas, on a navigation-bombing mission. The forma­tion soon encountered a powerful thunderstorm sys­tem. Investigators stated,

 

“Careful inspection of the wreckage, especially the portion of the shattered fuse­lage and engines disclosed the aircraft hit the ground in an inverted position. Inquiry revealed … two other B-29s were flying formation with this aircraft and all aircraft decided to break formation to reduce the haz­ards of flying instruments [while flying] through the frontal area. The projected flight plan was to main­tain 20,000 feet throughout the mission. A search of the area of the crash indicated the airplane began dis­integrating before the impact as evidenced by wing and control surfaces being scattered over eight square miles of the flight path. Examination of these bits of wreck­age points toward the fact that the control surfaces (i.e. ailerons, elevators, etc.) were torn from their hinges, inducing further structural failure of the aircraft.”  (Quoted in Mireles 2006, p. 1110.)

 

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1945, p. 94. USAAF Boeing B-29 Superfortress crash near Rush Springs OK, 6-11-1945. Accessed 12-4-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/98518

 

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.