1950 — Sep 26, USAF C-54D takeoff crash 1 mile off Ashiya Air Base, Kyushu, Japan– 23

–23 Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 49.
–23 Korean War Educator. “Topics – C-54 Medical Transport Crash Sea of Japan, Sep 26, 1950.”

Narrative Information

Gero:
“Date: 26 September 1950 (c.01:00)
“Location: Near Kita-Kyushu, Fukuoka, Japan
“Operator: US Air Force
“Aircraft type: Douglas C-54D

“Bound for Kimpo Air Base, near Seoul, South Korea, the four-engine transport crashed in the Korea Strait, off the island of Kyushu, shortly after taking off from Runway 30 at Ashiya Air Base. Killed in the accident were 23 of the 51 American military personnel aboard, including five members of its crew of eight. All of the survivors suffered injuries. The crash occurred approximately 1 mile (1.5km) from the end of the runway which the aircraft had used, in darkness and meteorological conditions consisting of a high overcast, with a visibility of 2 miles (3km) in ground fog. Military authorities did not release the findings as to the probable cause of the accident.”

Korean War Educator. C-54 Medical Transport Crash, Sea of Japan, September 26, 1950:

“There were forty-three passengers and eight crew members onboard this Douglas C-54-DC (DC-54) Skymaster medical aircraft (registration number 42-72457) when it crashed in the Korea strait one mile from the end of the runway after taking off from Ashiya Air Base. The aircraft was assigned to the 6th Troop Carrier Squadron of the 374th Troop Carrier Wing based in Tachikawa Air Base, Japan. Killed were eighteen passengers and five crew members, including one of two females on the flight, Vera M. Brown.

Crew Members – 8 crew
Amerine, 2Lt. F.M. – co-pilot
Bonham, 1Lt. Jonita Ruth – flight nurse from Oklahoma. Recipient of Distinguished
Flying Cross.
Brown, Capt. Vera M. – flight nurse from Birmingham, Alabama. Fatality.
Hunnewell, SSgt. George – engineer
Loggins, Pfc. William C. – medical technician
Steele, Sgt. Foster Jr. – medical technician… Fatality.
Sowell, F.M. – radio operator
Ward, 1Lt. Walter W. – pilot…Fatality.

Passengers – 43 passengers [We list only the fatalities.]
Besancon, Pvt. Charles W.
Caffey, Cpl. William E.
Cavallo, Sgt. Louis W.
Chambliss, Pvt. Fred G.
Corley, MSgt. Wilson T.
Hottinger, Pvt. William H.
Johnson, Pvt. Horace Wilson Jr.
Jung, Pfc. Bruce R.
Lambert, Pfc. Ronald John
McKelvey, Pfc. Melvin L.
Morgan, Cpl. John Frederick Jr.
Sanders, Pvt. Joseph H.
Selby, Cpl. Richard Nealon “Dick”
Vilandre, Cpl. Robert D.
Ward, Lt. Walter W.
Watts, Sgt. L. G.
Whitmore, Pfc. Benjamin Garland
Wimbish, Pvt. John Leonard
Wood, Pfc. Alfred W. ….
(Korean War Educator. “Topics – C-54 Medical Transport Crash, Sea of Japan, September 26, 1950.)
Sources

Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.

Korean War Educator. “Topics – C-54 Medical Transport Crash, Sea of Japan, September 26, 1950. Accessed 8-21-2023 at: http://www.koreanwar-educator.org/topics/airplane_crashes/c54_japan_19500926/p_c54_japan_9_26_1950.htm