1953 — July 17, USN R4Q Plane (with NROTC) Takeoff Crash/Fire, near Milton, FL– 44

— 44 Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. United States Navy Packet, 17 Jul 1953.
— 44 Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). 10-7-2011.
— 44 Big Spring Daily Herald, TX. “Memorial Planned to Rice ROTC Dead.” 9-24-1953, p. 9.
— 44 Fort Pierce News-Tribune, FL. “Report…Transport Crash Sent to Wash.” 8-23-1953, 11.
— 44 Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, 57.
— 44 NFPA. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of…, 47/3, Jan 1954, p.312.
— 44 Oneonta Star, NY. “44th Fatality in Plane Crash.” 7-28-1953, p. 14.
— 44 PlaneCrashInfo.com. Accident Details. July 17, 1953, near Milton, FL.

Narrative Information

ASN: “The Navy Packet (Fairchild R4Q-2 (C-119F), departed from Milton-Whiting Field Naval Air Station, Florida for Norfolk Naval Air Station, Chambers, VA, with 46 occupants (6 crew and 40 passengers). It “was part of a large airlift carrying Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) students from summer training in Corpus Christi, TX., back to Norfolk. The airplane had stopped at Whiting to refuel. It crashed into a wooded area near the airport shortly after taking off. One crewmember and one passenger survived.” (ASN. United States Navy, 17 Jul 1953.)

Baugher: “131663 (c/n 10830) crashed after takeoff Jul 17, 1953 near Milton, FL. 44 of 46 aboard killed. Was carrying Naval ROTC members.” (Baugher. US Navy…Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). 10-7-2011.)

Gero:
“Date: 17 July 1953 (c.23:15)
“Location: Near Milton, Florida, US
“Operator: US Navy
“Aircraft type: Fairchild R4Q-2 (131663)

“The twin-engine transport crashed and burned about 20 miles (30km) north-north-east of Pensacola, moments after it had taken off from Whiting Naval Air Station on a domestic US flight to the Norfolk naval base in Virginia. All but two of the 46 American servicemen aboard loss their lives in the accident, while the survivors, one a passenger and the other a member of the aircraft’s crew of six, suffered injuries.

“Its undercarriage and flaps fully retracted, the R4Q slammed into a wooded area in a wings-level attitude approximately 4,000ft (1,200m) from the departure end and to the left of the extended centerline of Runway 31, which it had used. The crash occurred on what was described as an ‘extremely black’ night, and there were patches of fog in the area despite an unlimited ceiling and a visibility of 10 miles (15km). The co-pilot, who was flying the aircraft at the time of the take-off, must have been unable to visually denote obstacles in his flight path or adequately discern his attitude owing to the absence of both a distinguishable horizon and reference lights in his forefront, and had apparently failed to maintain a sufficient rate of climb during the crucial phase of operation after becoming airborne. A retire Marine aviator with experience in the type later noted that the faster acceleration of such aircraft as the R4Q affected its gyros and could result in an instrument indication opposite to what was happening, i.e. climbing instead of descending, which led pilots to change procedures during instrument take-offs. It was not known, however, whether this factor contributed to the crash of 131663.” (Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999, pp. 56-57.)

National Fire Protection Association: “July 17, near Milton, Florida, U.S. Marine Corps., Fairchild Packet. $250,000, 44 Killed.

“The worst continental air disaster of 1953 occurred when a marine Corps Packet (C-119) crashed on take-off from Whiting Field and ‘burst into a rolling ball of fire’ before striking three parked automobiles and a barn. Five men of the total of 46 originally survived but three of these subsequently died of burns suffered in the accident. Most of the passengers were R.O.T.C. students who had been undergoing summer training and 22 of these were students from the University of Oklahoma. No details on the cause are available.” (National Fire Protection Association. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 47, No. 3, Jan 1954, p. 312.)

Planecrashinfo.com: “Summary: The co-pilot failed to maintain a sufficient rate of climb after becoming airborne, struck obstacles and crashed into a wooded area.” (PlaneCrashInfo.com. Accident Details. July 17, 1953, near Milton, FL.)

Newspaper Articles – Chronological Order:

July 18 (Saturday): “Milton, Fla.. July 18 (AP) — A twin-engined Marine transport plane taking part in a giant airlift of 1,600 Naval ROTC college students crashed last midnight, killing 41 men. Almost all of the dead were ROTC students undergoing summer training at Corpus Christi, Tex., and Norfolk, Va. The passengers were being flown from Corpus Christi to Norfolk for amphibious Drills…. The doomed plane burst into a rolling ball of fire after smashing through a clump of trees. It scattered burning wreckage and bodies for more than 100 yards before crashing into three parked automobiles and a barn.” (Ada Evening News, OK. “Thursday Memorial Day for Crash Dead.” 7-19-1953, p. 1.)

July 18: “By Travis Walsh. A grim, shocked atmosphere prevailed at the Naval Air Station this morning as word got around about the death of 41 NROTC midshipmen and crew members in the crash of a Marine R4Q cargo plane near Pensacola. The plane, carrying 40 midshipmen and 6 crew members, left NAS on schedule at 6:15 p.m. yesterday headed for Norfolk via Pensacola. It was one of 20 planes used to airlift 800 middies to Norfolk and an equal number from Norfolk to NAS yesterday and today.

“The midshipmen victims had just completed a three-week familiarization course in naval aviation at NAS, Cabaniss Field [Corpus Christi, TX] and NAAS Kingsville [TX].

“Word of the crash, which occurred shortly after takeoff from a refueling stop at Whiting Field, was not long reaching Navy officials here. Some of the top officials of the Naval Air Advanced Training Command, which handled the airlift, were up all night…Although the midshipmen were not at NAS long, they apparently made many friends in Corpus Christi. The Caller-Times received several calls this morning from anxious persons wanting to know the names of the victims.

“Plane crashes are always grim events, but the one last night was felt more deeply than most. The victims were not experienced military men, but young college students, many of them in their teens. Many of them had never been up in an airplane before coming here. Most of them responded quickly to their introduction to aviation and expressed interest in entering flight training after graduation from college.

“This is what officials of the naval air training program had hoped for, because in the near future the Navy will have to depend on the NROTC program for a good many of its flight students.” (Corpus Christi Times, TX. “41 NROTC Men Die in Cargo Plane Crash. Grim News. Midshipmen Left Here Yesterday.” 7-18-1953, 1.)

July 18: “Milton, Fla. July 18. (AP) — A Marine cargo plane carried 41 young Naval Midshipmen and crewmen to fiery death when it crashed on a farm and burst into flames after taking off from Whiting Field last midnight. Charred bodies of the victims were recovered by Navy teams which worked at the grim task throughout the night.

“Five other occupants of the 2-engine plane were rushed to Pensacola Naval Air Station hospital, where two were reported in critical condition and three in serious condition.

“The plane, transformed into a massive “ball of flames” after plunging into a clump of trees a mile north of the runway, smashed three parked automobiles and plowed into a barn on the farm of Ray Allen…

“Harold Stokes, city editor of the Pensacola News-Journal, said that when he arrived on the scene shortly after the crash he found ‘scrambled, scorched bodies scattered all over. They looked as if their clothes were skin tight, stuck to their swollen bodies.’

“Six survivors were picked up by Navy rescue teams, but one of the men died in the Whiting Field hospital about four hours later without regaining consciousness.

“The plane was part of a flight of 5 transports which had made a refueling stop at Whiting. They were ferrying NROTC men from Corpus Christi, Texas to Norfolk, Va., for another phase of their 6-week summer training program.

“The Navy at Norfolk said two of the survivors were Marine Corps members of the plane’s six-man crew, Capt. C. E. McGrath and Cpl. J. P. Tuttle. The Navy also said other planes of the type that crashed were being grounded temporarily and other type planes were taking over the airlift.
One plane already had taken off for Norfolk after being refueled. The second had cleared the runway and was gaining altitude when it ran into some unexplained difficulty and plunged to the ground….

“Alex Allen, 15, dashed out of his farm home when he saw ‘a ball of flame about 150 yards long. Then the barn caught on fire and a boy came walking up to me, his clothes were burning all over and he asked me to pull off his shoes and clothes,’ he said. ‘A neighbor and I put a blanket over the boy and carried him to the side of the house. I got some lard and rubbed it all over him. Then another man came up, with his clothes afire.’

“There were 40 Naval ROTC men and six Marine crewmen aboard the R4Q Fairchild Packet plane — Marine version of the C119 Flying Boxcar — which is regularly attached to the 2nd Marine Air Wing based at Cherry Point, N. C.

All the ROTC men were college students, in their sophomore and junior years and from many states. As part of their reserve work they are required to take six weeks summer training at naval installations in Corpus Christi and Norfolk. Altogether, 1,600 ROTC men are taking part in this summer’s program, half of them at Corpus Christi and half at Norfolk. At the end of three weeks, the 800 at Norfolk and 800 at Corpus Christi swap bases for the final three weeks.
The group which had stopped at Whiting was half of the 800 being flown to Norfolk.

“Rear Adm. J. P. WHITNEY, chief of Naval Air Basic Training, appointed a special board to investigate the crash.” (Corpus Christi Times, TX. “41 NROTC Men Die in Cargo Plane Crash. Corpus Christi-Florida Ship Falls in Flames.” 7-18-1953, pp. 1 and 14.)

July 18: “Pensacola, Fla., July 18 (AP) — The Navy today released the names of five survivors and 41 killed in the crash of a Marine cargo plane near Milton, Fla., last midnight….

The dead crew members:

Capt. G. L. Yoder, co-pilot…Havelock, N. C.
T-Sgt. J. L. Farley…Fort Macon Village, N. C.
M-Sgt. D. L. Sabel…535-B Marine Corps Air Station, Cherry Point, N. C.
Sgt. N. S. Lyons…Kokomo, Ind.

The dead passengers, all NROTC students:

Eldred D. Bates…Norman, Okla., University of Oklahoma.
Edmond E. Fahrenkamp…Fort Worth, University of Oklahoma.
Charles S. Heddleson…Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
John P. Hughes…Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
James J. Kingen…Tarrytown, N. Y., student at University of Oklahoma.
Roy V. Lulow, Jr….Tulsa, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Billy E. Mills…Wayne, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
James L. Munkres…Enid, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Ted G. Phillips…Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
George H. Prentiss…Muskogee, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
James P. Raibourn…Sarasota, Fla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Robert E. Rhyne…Fort Smith, Ark., student at University of Oklahoma.
Robert E. Richardson…Brookhaven, Miss., student at University of Oklahoma.
John B. Rushing…Chandler, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Richard W. Schleiff…Fort Smith, Ark., student at University of Oklahoma.
George F. Schwaebe…St. Louis, Mo., student at University of Missouri.
David R. Smith…Blanchard, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Gordon H. Smith…Tulsa, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Lee W. Smith…Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
Loyd M. Smith…Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
James C. Stafford, Jr. …Oklahoma City, student at University of Oklahoma.
Kenneth R. Starr…Hobart, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Darrel E. Stricklin…Norman, Okla., student at University of Oklahoma.
Jerald R. Russell…Orland, Calif., student at Oregon State College.
Dennis M. Sheets…Portland, Oregon, student at University of Oregon.
Elwood A Tracy…Klamath Falls, Oregon, student at Oregon State College.
Bowden W. Wilson…San Antonio, student at Rice Institute.
William E. Wohn…Houston, student at Rice Institute.
Allen L. Wright…Sweetwater, Tenn., student at Georgia Tech.
William R. Biles…Springfield, Mo., student at University of Missouri.
Robert K. M. Dickson….El Paso, student at Rice Institute.
Edward L. Bailey, Jr. …Webster, Texas, student at Rice Institute.
Frank M. Caldwell…Richmond, Virginia, student at Rice Institute.
Edward R. Clayton…Park Ridge, Ill., student at Rice Institute.
George W. Coyle, Jr. …Maplewood, La., student at Rice Institute.
Raymond A Daniel…Houston, student at Rice Institute.
Wallis C. Elston…Houston, student at Rice Institute.”

(Corpus Christi Times, TX. “Rice Institute Lists 9 Among Crash Victims.” 7-18-1953, 1 & 14.)

July 19: “Milton, Fla., July 19 – UP – The Navy Sunday appealed to eyewitnesses of a marine transport plane crash in which 41 men were killed to testify before a Navy board of inquiry. Anyone who witnessed the fiery air disaster Friday was asked to appear before the board which will convene at the Navy’s auxiliary air strip here Monday, a Navy spokesman said.

“The huge Fairchild transport dubbed an R-4-Q ‘packet’ plane by the Marines and a ‘flying boxcar’ by the Army, smashed to earth in a small clearing a minute after it had taken off from the Milton strip.

“The R-4-Q was ferrying ROTC students to Norfolk, Va., and had stopped at Milton to refuel. Three students and two crewmen survived the tragedy, but three of them were In critical condition. They were rushed to the nearby Pensacola, Fla., Naval Air Station where only members of their families and medical authorities have been permitted to see them.

“All other R-4-Q planes were ordered grounded by joint Navy-Marine action Saturday and 120 other ROTC students were flown to Norfolk in other transport aircraft.

“Twenty-two of the crash victims were students at the University of Oklahoma and University President Dr. George L. Cross called the disaster the ‘greatest tragedy in the history of the University’.” (Galveston Daily News, TX. “Navy Wants Witnesses to Plane Crash.” 7-20-‘53, 2.)

July 22: “Oklahoma City (AP) – Gov. Johnston Murray has proclaimed Thursday as “special Memorial Day” in the state to honor 22 University of Oklahoma Navy ROTC midshipmen who were among the 41 men killed last Friday midnight in a Florida air crash. The proclamation noted 22 of “Oklahoma’s finest and most intelligent young men have died in the service of their country.” Bodies of 16 of the victims arrive in the state today and tomorrow for individual funeral services.

“The Oklahomans were killed when a Marine transport crashed in a takeoff near Whiting Field, Florida. The men were being transported from Corpus Christi, Tex., to Little Creek, Va., for another phase of their summer training.

“Lone O. U. student to survive the crash was Dale Edward Scott, East Lansing. Mich. He still is in critical condition at the Pensacola, Fla. naval hospital.

“…a Navy court of inquiry continued its investigation. Three of the five survivors testified yesterday they didn’t sense anything was wrong with the plane until it suddenly skidded into trees and exploded.” (Ada Evening News, OK. “Thursday Memorial Day…Dead.” 7-22-1953, 1)

July 22: “Milton, Fla., July 22 (AP) – The death toll from a marine transport plane crash climbed to 42 today when Midshipman Dale E. Scott, East Lansing, Mich., died of injuries. Scott, a Naval ROTC midshipman who was a student at the University of Oklahoma, died in the Pensacola Naval Air Station Hospital. He had been in critical condition since the crash last Friday night.. His death came about the same time memorial services were being held at Whiting Field here fro the other 41 victims of the crash. Bodies of the remaining 37 Navy ROTC students and four crewmen killed in the disaster have been shipped to their home towns.” (Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “Plane Crash Death Toll Mounts to 42.” 7-23-1953, p. 3.)

July 23: “Pensacola, Fla., July 23 (UP) – The pilot of a Marine transport plane that crashed last week – possibly the only survivor who could have given a clue to what happened to the giant ship – died today of his injuries, raising the death toll to 43. Marine Capt. C. E. Graff of Morehead City, N.C., had been in critical condition since the crash last Friday midnight. He suffered burns over most of his body and one arm was amputated at the Pensacola Naval Air Station hospital.

“Capt Graff was never able to make a statement about the crash of the twin-engine plane loaded with college naval ROTC students. Forty men were killed outright, another died shortly after the crash and the 42nd victim, University of Oklahoma student Dale E. Scott, died Wednesday.

“Three other survivors are expected to recover but in preliminary statements they were unable to explain what happened to the R4Q transport…” (Panama City News, FL. “Plane Crash Claims Life of 43rd Victim.” 7-24-1953, p. 18.)

July 25: “Milton, Fla., July 25 – UP – A Navy court of inquiry will convene at Whiting Field again Monday to see if it can find out what caused the crush of a Marine transport plane July 17 which took the lives of 43 men. Lt. Cmdr. Don Giant, Navy pubic information officer, said cause of the crash is “still a mystery.” The court adjourned after hearing representatives of companies of the plane. Company engineers and Navy investigators continued with laboratory tests to try to determine the cause of the crash of the R-4-Q transport.

“At Pensacola Naval Hospital, the three remaining survivors of the crash were repeated improving Saturday. Two Navy ROTC students, Thomas F. Maggard of Kansas City, and Jay B. Weidler Jr., of Philadelphia, Pa., were still in serious condition. Marine Cpl. J. P. Tuttle of Chaumont, N.Y., was taken off the serious list several days ago.” (Brownsville Herald, TX. “Navy Holding Crash Probe.” 7-26-1953, p. 13.)

July 27: “Pensacola, Fla., July 27 (AP) – The Navy today reported the 44th death from the July 17 crash of a Marine transport plane near Whiting Field. Thomas F. Maggard, a Navy ROTC student at the University of Utah, died yesterday of burns suffered in the crash. His death left only two survivors of the disaster — Jay B. Weidler Jr., Philadelphia, Pa., an ROTC student, and Marine Cpl. J. P. Tuttle, Chaumont, N. Y. Weidler is on the serious list but improving. Tuttle is in good condition.” (Oneonta Star, NY. “44th Fatality in Plane Crash.” 7-28-1953, p. 14.)

Aug 23: “Pensacola, Fla. (AP) – A report of an investigation into the July 17 crash of a Marine air transport plane that killed 44 persons has been submitted to Washington, the Pensacola Naval Air Station announced today. A court of inquiry recently completed its work and the findings were studied by Rear Adm. J. P. Whitney, chief of Naval air basic training. Only two persons survived the crash of the twin-engine plane….” (Fort Pierce News-Tribune, FL. “Report of Probe on Transport Crash Sent to Washington.” 8-23-1953, p. 11.)

Sep 24: “Houston (AP) – A permanent memorial is being planned here for the 10 Rice Institute Naval ROTC cadets killed July 17 in a plane crash near Milton, Fla. Asst. to the president, Dr. W. H. Masterson said yesterday it had not been decided whether the memorial would be a statue, building or other structure. The students were among 44 killed when a CHS transport crashed and burned soon after a takeoff.” (Big Spring Daily Herald, TX. “Memorial Planned to Rice ROTC Dead.” 9-24-1953, p. 9.)

Fowler: “On July 17, 1953 I was a 22 year old midshipman in the Georgia Tech NROTC unit which was being moved from Corpus Christie to Norfolk. We were in the third plane at Whiting Field. I watched the second plane take off; within seconds the sky turned red, the second plane had crashed. Within 3-4 confused hours we were on a different plane, moved to Norfolk, and began amphibious training at Little Creek, Va. We had no information, no de-brief, nothing. I saw no news stories. We finished our training and returned to school. No info there either, it just passed by…” (Posting by Bud Fowler in: GenDisasters.com. “Milton, FL Cargo Plane Crash, July 1953.”)

Sources

Ada Evening News, OK. “State Shocked at Death of 22 OU Students in Florida Crash,” 7-19-1953, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/freepdfviewer.aspx?img=52365062

Ada Evening News, OK. “Thursday Memorial Day for Crash Dead.” 7-22-1953, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=52365112

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. United States Navy Packet, 17 Jul 1953. Accessed 2-19-2009 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19530717-0

Baugher, Joseph F. US Navy and US Marine Corps BuNos Third Series (130265 to 135773). Oct 7, 2011 update. Accessed at: http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_serials/thirdseries15.html

Big Spring Daily Herald, TX. “Memorial Planned to Rice ROTC Dead.” 9-24-1953, p. 9. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=96184630

Brownsville Herald, TX. “Navy Holding Crash Probe.” 7-26-1953, p. 13. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=85506585

Corpus Christi Times, TX. “41 NROTC Men Die in Cargo Plane Crash.” 7-18-1953, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=85829234

Corpus Christi Times, TX. “Rice Institute Lists 9 Among Crash Victims.” 7-18-1953, 1, 14. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=85829234&firstvisit=true&src=search&currentResult=0&currentPage=0&fpo=False

Fort Pierce News-Tribune, FL. “Report of Probe on Transport Crash Sent to Washington.” 8-23-1953, p. 11. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=10365483

Fowler, Bud. “I was there.” Posting in GenDisasters.com. “Milton, FL Cargo Plane Crash, July 1953.” Posted by Stu Beitler, 12-22-2007 at: http://www3.gendisasters.com/node/4130

Galveston Daily News, TX. “Navy Wants Witnesses to Plane Crash.” 7-20-1953, p. 2. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=42410988

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

National Fire Protection Association. “Worst No. American Aircraft Fires – 1953.” Quarterly of the National Fire Protection Association, Vol. 47, No. 3, Jan 1954, p.312.

Oneonta Star, NY. “44th Fatality in Plane Crash.” 7-28-1953, p. 14. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=50033273

Panama City News, FL. “Plane Crash Claims Life of 43rd Victim.” 7-24-1953, p. 18. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=34846209

PlaneCrashInfo.com. 1953. Accident Details. July 17, 1953, near Milton, FL. Accessed 11-17-2011 at: http://www.planecrashinfo.com/1953/1953-39.htm

Post-Standard, Syracuse, NY. “Plane Crash Death Toll Mounts to 42.” 7-23-1953, p. 3. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=22435603