1962 — May 17, USAF C130 Hercules flies into cloud shrouded mt., 20M W Nairobi, Kenya–13

–14 AP. “US transport plane crash in Kenya kills 14.” Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AL. 5-17-1962, p.1.
–14 UPI. “14 Die in Kenya Hills. Plane Crash Kills…” Independent, Pasadena, CA. 5-18-1962, p1.
–13 AP. “Airman Missing.” The Logansport Press, Logansport, IN. 5-19-1962, p. 14.
–13 AP. “Ohio Man Among Place Crash Victims.” Daily News Journal, Hamilton, OH. 5-21-1962, p1.
–13 Aviation Safety Network. USAF C130 Hercules flies into mt. 20M W Nairobi, Kenya, 5-17-1962.
–13 UPI. “Recovery of bodies of 13 airmen halted by weather.” Columbus…Telegram, NE. 5-19-1962, 5

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database:
“Date: Thursday 17 May 1962
“Type: Lockheed C-130A Hercules
“Operator: United States Air Force – USAF
“Registration: 56-0546
“MSN: 3154
….
“Crew: Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6
“Passengers: Fatalities: 7 / Occupants: 7
“Total: Fatalities: 13 / Occupants: 13
….
“Location: ca 32 km W of Nairobi-Embakasi Airport…(Kenya)
“Phase: En Route (ENR)
“Nature: Military
“Departure airport: Tripoli-Wheelus Air Base…Libya
“Destination airport: Nairobi-Embakasi Airport…Kenya
“Narrative:

“Crashed into mountain in poor weather. The C-130 carried support personnel and equipment for the recovery team of the Aurora 7, the second American manned orbital flight. Reportedly the C-130 was in a holding pattern at about 11,000 over the Ngong (GG) NDB and had just started the west bound leg of the holding pattern when being cleared for the approach to Nairobi Airport. At that time the crew started the descent on the west bound leg of the holding pattern and when turning back to the east he descended below the MEA for that sector.”

Newspaper

May 17, AP: “Washington (AP) A U.S. transport plane on a mission related to Saturday’s planned space flight by astronaut Malcolm Scott Carpenter crashed today near Nairobi, Kenya. The Air Force said all 14 aboard apparently were killed. The Air Force said all 14 were Air Force personnel, not immediately connected with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. NASA itself had said earlier that none of the seven Mercury astronauts was aboard the C130 Hercules. Inquiries about the astronauts were based on the fact that some of the astronauts draw assignments at points along the line of flight for manned shots.

“The wreckage of the C130 was found on a mountain near Nairobi, to which the aircraft was bound. It apparently burned on impact the Air Force said. Two helicopters from Nairobi had reached the scene.

“The Air Force said that normally a C130 carries a crew of four. This would indicate the others were passengers. No names were available immediately.

“At Cape Canaveral, a Mercury project spokesman said the C130 was ‘a logistics plane – a supply plane – for the Nairobi-Kenya contingency site.’ The spokesman said the plane was from the Evreaux Air Base in France and was assigned to the 322nd Air Division. Based on information available, he said, the crash would not affect plans to launch Malcolm Scott Carpenter into orbital flight Saturday.

“A contingency site provides planes to search for the astronaut and his spacecraft if he comes down in an unscheduled landing area. There are four in Africa. The others are in Morocco, Nigeria and Southern Rhodesia.

“The Nairobi-Kenya station is not located near one of the 17 Mercury tracking stations, which maintain contact with an orbiting spacecraft. This reduces the likelihood that tracking personnel were aboard the C130, the spokesman indicated. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration said it had no information on who from the agency might have been abord the plane.” (Associated Press. “U.S. transport plane crash in Kenya kills 14.” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AL. 5-17-1962, p. 1.)

May 18, UPI: “Nairobi, Kenya – UPI – A U.S. Air Force transport plane carrying a recovery crew for Scott Carpenter’s space flight crashed into a step cliff near the Nairobi airport yesterday, killing all 14 men aboard. It was the worst disaster of the Project Mercury Program.

“National Aeronautics and Space Agency officials at Cape Canaveral, Fla., said the crash alone did not postpone the scheduled flight tomorrow of Astronaut Scott Carpenter but that technical difficulties in the capsule’s parachute mechanism force the cancellation.

“The plane, a C130 Hercules, hit the cloud-covered cliff in the Ngong hills 15 miles southwest of Nairobi while approaching the airport for a landing. A second C130 with other Americans aboard made a safe landing.

“A U.S. Information Service spokesman said there were ‘no important scientists’ among the dead technicians and crew members. American airmen who reached the scene through buffalo and hyena infested country found seven charred bodies in the wreckage.

“The last massage from the plane was received when the aircraft was only 15 minutes from a landing. It crashed near one of the beacons lighting the way to the airport.

“Both planes were reported bound from Libya to Mauritius Island in the Indian Ocean. The planes are based normally in Evreux, France.” (UPI. “14 Die in Kenya Hills. Plane Crash Kills Space Shot Aides.” The Independent, Pasadena, CA. 5-18-1962, p. 1.)

May 19, AP: “Bloomington, Ind. (AP) – S. Sgt. Thomas J. Neal, 28, Bloomington, is listed by the Air Force as among 13 persons aboard a C130 transport which crashed Thursday near Nairobi, Kenya, in Africa. The 13 were listed as missing but reports indicated all were killed in the crash. The plane was en route to the Nairobi tracking station for manned satellite flights.” (Associated Press. “Airman Missing.” The Logansport Press, Logansport, IN. 5-19-1962, p. 14.)

May 20, UPI: “Nairobi, Kenya (UPI) – Operations to recover the bodies of 13 Project Mercury men who died in the crash of a U.S. Air Force transport were held up today by incessant rain and low clouds which prevented helicopters from working. Col. Edmund B. Richards, leader of the U.S. Air Force investigation team, and Lt. Col. Ralph E. Bullock, president of the Air Force accident investigation board from Evreux, France, still were waiting to go to the Ngong hills to investigate the crash of the Hercules transport. The airplane crashed Thursday and the cause has remained a mystery. British airmen worked all day Friday and were able only to recover one body from the wreckage on a steep hillside.” (UPI. “Recovery of bodies of 13 airmen halted by weather.” The Columbus Daily Telegram, NE. 5-19-1962, p. 5.)

May 21, AP: “Evreux, France (AP) – An Ohioan was among the 13 men who died in the crash of a U.S. C130 Hercules transport Thursday near Nairobi, Kenya. He was the aircraft commander, Maj. Frank Sabol of Kent, Ohio.” (AP. “Ohio Man Among Place Crash Victims.” Daily News Journal, Hamilton, OH. 5-21-1962, p.1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Airman Missing.” The Logansport Press, Logansport, IN. 5-19-1962, p. 14.
Accessed 7-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/logansport-press-may-19-1962-p-14/

Associated Press. “Ohio Man Among Place Crash Victims.” Daily News Journal, Hamilton, OH. 5-21-1962, p.1. Accessed 7-11-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/hamilton-daily-news-journal-may-21-1962-p-7/

Associated Press. “U.S. transport plane crash in Kenya kills 14.” The Daily Sentinel, Sitka, AL. 5-17-1962, p. 1. Accessed 7-11-2023 at:
https://newspaperarchive.com/daily-sitka-sentinel-may-17-1962-p-1/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database. 1962 May 17 USAF C130 Hercules flies into mountain in poor weather 20M W Nairobi Kenya. Accessed 7-11-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19620517-0

UPI (United Press International). “Recovery of bodies of 13 airmen halted by weather.” The Columbus Daily Telegram, NE. 5-19-1962, p. 5. Accessed 7-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/columbus-daily-telegram-may-19-1962-p-5/

UPI (United Press International). “14 Die in Kenya Hills. Plane Crash Kills Space Shot Aides.” The Independent, Pasadena, CA. 5-18-1962, p. 1. Accessed 7-11-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/california-pasadena-independent-may-18-1962-p-1/