1992 — Oct 7, West Virginia Air National Guard C-130 Crash, Berkeley Springs, WV– 6

–13  B3A (Geneva). Crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules in West Virginia: 13 killed.[1]

–13  Baugher, Joseph F. 1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-16-2012 revision.[2]

—  6  ASN. Accident description. ANG Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs.

—  6  The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash.” 11-6-1992, p. C2.

—  6  Washington Post (Tamara Jones). “Morgan County’s Lofty Argument.” 2-13-1995.[3]

 

Narrative Information

 

AVN: “Time:              ca 09:30….

“Total:             Fatalities: 6 / Occupants: 6….

“Location:       3 km (1.9 mls) NW of Berkeley Springs, WV…

“Departure airport:      Martinsburg-Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field, WV

“Destination airport:   Martinsburg-Eastern West Virginia Regional Airport/Shepherd Field, WV

“Narrative:      The plane was on a routine training mission when it struck powerlines and crashed into a two-story house.” (Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description.  Air National Guard Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs, WV, 07 Oct 1992.) 

 

Baugher: “Lockheed C-130E-LM Hercules….7881 (c/n 382-3952, 167th Airlift SQ)  crashed near Berkeley Springs, WV Oct 7, 1992.  13 killed.”  (Baugher, Joseph F.  1963 USAF Serial Numbers.  1-13-2016 revision.)

 

Nov 6, The Capital: “Charleston, W.Va. — Investigators blame the crash of a West Virginia Air National Guard C-130E transport plane last month in Berkeley Springs on pilot error and bad judgment, a television station reports. WCHS-TV of Charleston cited unidentified sources with the U. S. Air Force for the investigators findings.

 

“The Oct. 7 crash killed six crew members from the Martinsburg-based 167th Tactical Airlift Group and demolished a two-story farmhouse.

 

“Col. Wayne Lloyd, air commander of the 167th, said Thursday there had been no official reports about the cause of the crash.  He said he did not expect a complete report on the crash for two more months.” (The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash.” 11-6-1992, C2.)

Sources

 

Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Air National Guard Lockheed C-130E Hercules, 3 km NW Berkeley Springs, WV, 07 Oct 1992. Accessed 2-25-2012 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19921007-0

 

B3A (Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives, Geneva, Switzerland). Crash of a Lockheed C-130 Hercules in West Virginia: 13 killed. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.baaa-acro.com/1992/archives/crash-of-a-lockheed-c-130-hercules-in-west-virginia-13-killed/

 

Baugher, Joseph F. 1963 USAF Serial Numbers. 1-13-2016 revision. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1963.html

 

The Capital, Annapolis, MD. “Pilot error blamed in C-130 crash [Berkeley Springs, WV].” 11-6-1992, p. C2. At: http://newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=25890930

 

Washington Post (Tamara Jones). “Morgan County’s Lofty Argument.” 2-13-1995. Accessed 4-7-2016 at: https://www.google.com/#q=wv+ang+c-130+crash+berkeley+springs+oct+7+1992

 

[1] Notes  fatalities as crew of five and eight passengers. It appears clear there were six fatalities thus cannot explain, other than he followed Baugher, or both followed the same incorrect source – see note on Baugher figure below.

[2] Communicated with Joseph Baugher on April 7, 2016 on the accuracy and source of his 13 fatalities notation. He responded back on April 12 noting that he had double checked and determined that six fatalities was correct.

[3] The article is about Morgan County’s unsuccessful effort to recover about $11,000 for emergency services from the federal government. Notes, though, that six crewmembers died in the crash.