1952 — March 12, two USAF B-29’s, flying blind, collide, ~Sequin and San Antonio, TX–15

–15 AP, “15 Randolph Field Airmen Killed Wednesday…,” Kernville Times, TX. 3-13-1952, 1.
–15 Aviation Safety Network. USAF TB-29 44-62223 collides with TB-29 44-87774, 3-12-1952.
–8 44-62223
–7 44-87774
–15 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. Crash of Boeing B-29A-90-BW near Randolph AFB.
–15 Planecrashinfo.com. “1952…Accident Details…Military-USAF…March 12, 1952…”

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network:
“Date: 12-Mar-1952
“Time: 14:35 CST
“Type: Boeing TB-29 Superfortress
“Owner/operator: 3511 CCTSqn USAF…
“Registration: 44-62223
….
“Fatalities: Fatalities: 8 / Occupants 8
“Other fatalities: 7
….
“Location: Gus Krause Ranch, 19 miles north of San Antonio, Texas
“Phase: En route
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Randolph AFB, Universal City, TX
….
“Confidence Rating: Information is only available from news, social media or unofficial sources.
“Narrative:

“B-29 44-62223: Modified to TB-29. Assigned to 3510th Maintenance and Supply Squadron, 3510th Maintenance and Supply Group (ATC), Randolph AFB, Texas. The aircraft was assigned to Project Banshee, the use of unmanned B-29 aircraft to remotely drop atomic weapons.

“This aircraft was rammed by another B-29, 44-87774 on March 12, 1952 near San Antonio, Texas. Neither aircraft survived the mid-air collision and all personnel were killed. Results of the collision were such that the tail section of the rammed aircraft, No. 44-62223, separated from the fuselage, rendering this aircraft uncontrollable.

“Aircraft No. 44-62223 was seen to be flying in a near westerly direction, at an estimated altitude of 3,000 to 4,000 feet, when aircraft No. 44-87774 approached from the left rear, on a heading estimated to be 20 to 30 degrees greater than the first aircraft.

“The aircraft approaching B-29 No. 44-62223 appeared to pass completely underneath the rammed aircraft, then continued on course with no apparent damage or difficulty. The rammed aircraft maintained course and altitude momentarily before dropping off on the right wing, followed by a spin estimated to be one and one-fourth turns, leveling off momentarily, then rolling onto its back. From this inverted position the aircraft was observed to go into a dive.

“The severed tail section of this aircraft floated to the ground with very little damage on impact. Fragments of both aircraft were observed falling through the air immediately following the collision. Both planes crashed and all personnel were killed in this mid-air collision. This aircraft had a crew of eight. The cost of this aircraft loss (just this one B-29) was $783,143.00. The fatalities on 44-62223 were as follows:

Arnold, MSgt. Clyde L. – instructor engineer
Bertog, Cpl. Wallace L. – engineer
Jameson, Pfc. Donald L. – student gunner
Johnson, 1Lt. Lester H. – pilot
Kerner, Pvt. Sanford L. “Sandy” – student gunner
Padgett, Maj. Robert W. – student aircraft commander
Reynolds, Pfc. William E. – student gunner
Scott, 1Lt. Dale W. – instructor pilot.”

(Aviation Safety Network. USAF TB-29 44-62223 collides with TB-29 44-87774, 3-12-1952.)

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives: “….
“Crew on board 44-62223 were:

Pfc Arthur L. Hall, student gunner,
M/Sgt Ward W. Hovis, flight engineer,
Cpl Patrick H. Martin, instructor gunner,
M/Sgt Harrell B. Meyers, instructor engineer,
1st Lt Robert D. Neu, student aircraft commander,
Cpt Donald L. Rottier, instructor pilot,
1st Lt Moses G. Seals, pilot.”

Planecrashinfo.com: “While on a training mission and flying blind on instruments the planes collided. One plane struck the ground and disintegrated. The other glided down several miles away, exploded and burned. Both planes crashed on ranches several miles apart about 18 miles from San Antonio.” (Planecrashinfo.com.)

Newspaper

March 13, Kernville Times/AP: “San Antonio, March 13—(AP)–Super fortresses whose pilots couldn’t see where they were going while flying on instruments collided and carried 15 crewmen to their deaths in the hills of South Central Texas yesterday. One bomber plunged to earth and shattered, scattering fragments and bodies over a five-mile area. The other glided down several miles away, exploded and burned.

“The planes were on training flights from Randolph Air Force Base here. They were being flown mechanically and the pilots cabins were blacked out, according to Lt Bill Adams, Public Information Officer at the base. One plane carried seven men and the other eight, the Air Force said. Normally a B-29 combat crew consists of 11 men.

“The shattered plane crashed on a hill top on the Gus Krause Ranch. The other glided down near a small landing strip on the ranch of J. W. Heard, San Antonio oil man. D. C. McDonaly, superintendent of a nearby ranch, said he saw the planes flying in formation. He had this account:

“Suddenly one creased over and apparently clipped the tail section from the other plane. One plane went down and the other kept on flying on a level keel, with good altitude as if undamaged. No one jumped. The plane came low over a windmill on the Heard Ranch, just barely missing it. Suddenly the left wing dipped and went into the ground. The right wing cut a huge tree. The plane plowed several hundred feet and the four motors were found on a hilltop several hundred feet away.”….

“The crash occurred about 1 p m (EST) 40 miles north of here in a rugged ranch country studded with cedar and live oak trees….” (Kernville Times, TX. “15 Randolph Field Airmen Killed Wednesday…,” 13 Mar, 1952, 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “15 Randolph Field Airmen Killed Wednesday Afternoon Near New Braunfels After Ships Collide,” Kernville Times, TX. 3-13-1952, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=26022248

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation. USAF Boeing TB-29 Superfortress 44-62223 collides with USAF TB-29 44-87774, 19M north of San Antonio, TX. 3-12-1952 (ASN Wikibase Occurrence # 178359). Accessed 6-10-2023 at:
https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/178359

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Boeing B-29A-90-BW Superfortress near Randolph AFB: 8 killed.” Accessed 6-10-2023 at:
https://www.baaa-acro.com/aircraft/boeing-b-29-superfortress?page=4

Planecrashinfo.com. “1952…Accident Details…Military-USAF…March 12, 1952…” Accessed at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1952/1952-14.htm