1953 – Apr 29, US Air Force B-29 bomber in-flight fire and crash, near San Antonio, TX-10

–10 AP. “10 Airmen Die in Plane Crash; 6 More Escape.” Abilene Reporter-News, TX. 4-30-1953, p.1.
–10 AP. “Ten Dead As B29 Crashes; Five Escape.” Big Spring Herald, TX. 5-1-1953, p. 6.
–10 NFPA. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of…, 47/3, Jan 1954, p.311.

Narrative Information

National Fire Protection Association: “Apr. 29, near San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Air Force, B-29. $750,000, 10 Killed.

“Fire in flight was responsible for this accident fatal to 10 of 15 crew members aboard the B-29, The Randolph Field control tower received a radio message at 8:35 A.M. that a fire had broken out but that was the last word received. Five crew men were able to parachute to safety before the big plane smashed into the ground. Cause of the fire has not been established.” (NFPA. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of…, 47/3, Jan 1954, p. 311.)

Newspaper

April 29, AP: “San Antonio, April 29 (AP) – A B29 carrying live ammunition on a practice combat flight caught fire and crashed six miles north of Randolph Air Force Base here today, carrying 10 men to their deaths. Six others escaped by parachute. The wreckage burned.

“A B29 bomber normally has a crew of 11 but this one also carried instructors for the simulated combat run.

“….The Randolph tower said it had received a call at 8:35 a.m. from the plane that it was on fire. No further work was received.

“Charles Smith Jr., 11, described the crash which he witnessed from one and one half miles away. He said one engine in the right wing was afire. As he watched the four-engined plane wobbled crazily, nosed down almost in a somersault and struck the earth. Smith said he saw only five parachutes open and float to earth.

“Bodies of the 10 were found in or near the wreckage….” (Associated Press. “10 Airmen Die in Plane Crash; 6 More Escape.” The Abilene Reporter-News, TX. 4-30-1953, p. 1.)

May 1, AP: “San Antonio (AP) – Ten men were killed and five parachuted to safety when a B29 Superfort crashed nine miles south of Randolph Air Force Base yesterday. The flaming crash in a cornfield came shortly after the big four-engined plane had taken off on a simulated combat mission.

“Of the five men who jumped to safety only Lt. T. R. Olson, the co-pilot, was injured. He sprained an ankle. Olson said he was the last man to leave the craft. ‘The plane was banking sharply from me whin I left it,’ he said. ‘I was the last man who could have gotten out of it alive.’ He leaped from about 600 feet. The plane hit the ground and exploded about a second and a half later.

“Randolph said the dead were:

Maj. Junior Klein, aircraft commander, 32, Roxana, Ill.
Lt. Myron Silverman, radar observer, 23, Chicago.
Airman Ira Hubbartt, radio operator, 20, Sullivan, Ill.
Airman Rodney Johnson, instructor gunner, 23, Converse, Texas.
Airman Charles Manly, gunner, 19, Savannah, Ga.
Airman Donald Patton, gunner, 19, Lancaster, Ohio.
Airman Richard Sachoff, gunner, 20, Hunter, Kansas.
Airman Alan Struckel, gunner, 20, Marion, Mich.
Airman John Nienaber, flight engineer, 26, Greensburg, Ind.”

(Assoc. Press. “Ten Dead As B29 Crashes; Five Escape.” Big Spring Herald, TX. 5-1-1953, p. 6.)

Sources

Associated Press. “10 Airmen Die in Plane Crash; 6 More Escape.” The Abilene Reporter-News, TX. 4-30-1953, p. 1. Accessed 5-18-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/abilene-reporter-news-apr-30-1953-p-1/

Associated Press. “Ten Dead As B29 Crashes; Five Escape.” Big Spring Herald, TX. 5-1-1953, p. 6. Accessed 5-18-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/big-spring-weekly-herald-may-01-1953-p-6/

National Fire Protection Association. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 47, No. 3, Jan 1954, pp. 309-313.