1947 — Sep 19, USAF C-54 in-flight fire and crash 3.1M SW off Puerto San Juan, Peru– 14

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard 10-17-2023 for upload to: https://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–14  Aviation Safety Network. USAF C-54 inflight fire and crash near Puerto San Juan, Peru.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Network, Database, 1947:

“Date and Time:          Friday 19 September 1947, 13:44 UTC

“Type:                         Douglas C-54D-5-DC (DC-4)

“Operator:                   United States Air Force – USAF

“Registration:              42-72554

“MSN:                         10659

“First flight:                1945

….

“Crew:                         Fatalities:   5 / Occupants:   5

“Passengers:                Fatalities:   9 / Occupants:   9

“Total:                         Fatalities: 14 / Occupants: 14

“Location:                   5 km (3.1 mls) SW off Puerto San Juan (Peru)

“Phase:                        En route (ENR)

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      La Paz-El Alto Airport…Bolivia

“Destination airport:   Lima-Limatambo Airport…Peru.      
“Narrative:                  Crashed after in-flight fire.

(Aviation Safety Network. USAF C-54 inflight fire and crash near Puerto San Juan, Peru.)

Newspaper

Sep 20, AP: “Lima, Peru, Sept. 20. – (AP) – Authoritative sources report that a C-54 plane of the United States military mission to Panama, found from La Paz, Bolivia, to Lima, burned off Puerto San Juan. The fate of the occupants, reported to be U.S. and Bolivian pilots, was unknown.” (Associated Press. “Plane Burns.” Independent-Record, Helena, MT. 9-20-1947, p. 2.)

Sep 20, AP: “Lima, Peru, Sept. 20 (AP) – Bodies of three of 14 persons killed yesterday in the crash of a four-engined DC-6 plane into the sea two miles off San Juan, Peru, were brought to Lima today. These, two of them Americans, were the only bodies recovered in the search. They were identified as Mrs. William Pool, wife of U.S. Army captain serving as instructor at a Bolivian Army school; U.S. Army Sgt. Harry Borell, and Col. Juan Antonio Rivera, inspector of the Bolivian air force.

“Still missing were reported to be Col. William A. Sullivan, head of the U.S. air mission in Bolivia; Sgt. William Knisley of the U.S. Army; Hugo Soria, commander of the La Paz, Bolivia, air base; Maj. Raul Valle, Maj. Otto Resse, Maj. Jorge Dias Romero, all officers of the Bolivian air force and members of the crew.

“Witnesses said the plane caught fire and lost one wing before it dropped into the sea. Earlier they had seen five parachutes coming down. Fishermen rushed to the scene, found no trace of the wreckage, but recovered the three bodies.” (Associated Press. “Americans Perish as Plane Crashes.” Albuquerque Journal, NM. 9-21-1947, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Americans Perish as Plane Crashes.” Albuquerque Journal, NM. 9-21-1947, p. 1. Accessed 10-18-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/albuquerque-journal-sep-21-1947-p-1/

Associated Press. “Plane Burns.” Independent-Record, Helena, MT. 9-20-1947, p. 2. Accessed 10-18-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/independent-record-sep-20-1947-p-2/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Network, Database, 1947. USAF C-54 inflight fire and crash near Puerto San Juan, Peru, 19 September 1947. Accessed 10-18-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19470919-0