1952 — March 21, USN PB4Y-2 crash after takeoff, off Corpus Christi NAS, TX –all 10

— 10 Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Believed Killed in Navy Plane Crash.” 3-21-1952, p. 1.
— 10 Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Navy Men Die in Corpus Bomber Crash.” 3-22-1952, 1.
— 10 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of…PB4Y-2…off Corpus Christi NAS…”

Narrative Information

March 21, Associated Press: “Corpus Christi, Tex. (AP) – All aboard were believed killed early today when a four-engine Navy Privateer crashed a few minutes after it took off from Corpus Christi Naval Air Station. Ten men — four officers, two cadets and four enlisted men – were aboard. Hours after the crash which occurred about 1 a.m. (CST), no survivors had been recovered….A Navy spokesman said the plane ‘apparently disintegrated’ when it struck the water in a roaring crash. Debris was scattered over a wide area and strong surface winds hindered search for survivors or bodies.

“At least one plane, flown by Comdr. Fran Screws, NAS operations officer, and Lt. Comdr. B. M. Dyer, plus all available crash boats from the air station joined in the search. Dyer, assistant operations officer, first reported the crash of the big craft, a P4Y-2. He said he saw it going down behind the officers’ housing area back of the base. It had taken off a few minutes before for Alameda, Calif., on a routine training flight.

“R. M. McDonald, seaman in the NAS operations department, watched the plane go down from a window when he heard it pass over his home at a very low altitude. ‘When I saw it,’ McDonald said, ‘it seemed to be in a slight climb, but all four engines seemed to be missing fire. It made a 75 to 90-degree turn,’ he continued, ‘nosed down and then spun to the left.’ Seconds after he watched it pass from sight behind buildings, he heard it crash with a roaring boom.

“No reason for the crash had been advanced by Naval authorities.” (Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Believed Killed in Navy Plane Crash.” 3-21-1952, p. 1.)

March 21: “Corpus Christi, Tex., March 21 (AP) – Ten Navy, airmen were killed Friday in the crash of a four-engined Privateer patrol bomber. No survivors were found after the P4Y-2 splashed into the bay less than one mile off the end of naval air base runway. Witnesses said the craft took off and climbed to about 500 feet before it plummeted downward.

“Choppy waters of the Laguna Madre hindered salvage work, but divers brought up three bodies. They said the task of recovering the others would be long and tedious.

“The bomber-was bound for the Alameda, Calif., Naval Air Station. Aboard were four officers, four enlisted men and two cadets. The Navy listed the names of nine of the men saying the tenth
would be reported as soon is his next of kin had been notified. Listed as missing and presumed dead:
Lt. Delangton E. Rutledge, Corpus Christi.
Lt. William E. Dazier. Corpus Christi.
Lt. (JG) Bertram M. Roeder, Corpus Christi.
Naval Aviation Cadet Robert B. Nye, Luiz, Fla.
Naval Aviation Cadet Richard W. Augrain, New Orleans, La.
Airman Apprentice Robert H. Steinbaugh, Louisville, Colo.
Aviation Machinist’s Mate 3rd Class John i L. Affenberg, McLeansboro, Ill.
Airman Richard C. Chase, Oakland, Calif.
Airman Donald J. Givens, son of Edward Galen Givens, Box 336, Quanah, Tex.”

(Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Believed Killed in Navy Plane Crash.” 3-21-1952, p. 1.)

Sources

Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Believed Killed in Navy Plane Crash.” 3-21-1952, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=83550713

Abilene Reporter-News, TX. “10 Navy Men Die in Corpus Bomber Crash.” 3-22-1952, 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=76887670

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Consolidated PB4Y-2 Privateer off Corpus Christi NAS: 10 Killed.” Accessed 6-9-2023 at:
https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-consolidated-pb4y-2-privateer-corpus-christi-nas-10-killed