1943 — Feb 18, USAAF Boeing XB-29 crash into Frye Packing Plant, fire, Seattle, WA– 31
Compiled by Wayne Blanchard; last edit 5-16-2024 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/
–31 Blanchard estimate. We rely on Mireless who is only source to name all fatalities – 31 (10
crew, 20 Frye employees one of whom died on 21st and one firefighter on Feb 19.)
–41 Mireles 2006, Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents in US 1941-1945, Vol. 1, p. 277.
–10 Boeing Aircraft Company crewmembers
–30 Frye employees on the ground. [We speculate “30” is typo – 20 names listed.]
— 1 Firefighter
–34 Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-1 to 41-6721). 4-30-2011 revision.
–11 Boeing XB-29 Superfortress # 41-003 crew
–22 People in Frye slaughterhouse and meat processing plant
— 1 Seattle fireman
–34 San Antonio Light. “34 Known Dead in Plane, Plant Mishap,” 2-22-1943.
–32 Broom. “How a top-secret tragedy helped give rise to the…Frye Art Museum.” 10-24-2002
–11 Bomber crew (all 11)
–20 Frye workers
— 1 Firefighter
–32 Dougherty. “Prototype Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber crashes into Seattle’s Frye…”
–11 Men onboard the Boeing B-29 Prototype (mostly company engineers).
–21 On the ground, including firefighter Luther Bonner.
–32 Museum of History & Industry, Seattle. “Frye & Company plant accident, Seattle, 2-18-1943.”
–11 B-29 crew (all)
–21 Deaths in the building.
–32 National Fire Protection Association. “Seattle Bomber Crash Fire,” 1943, p. 272.
–11 XB-29 crew
–20 Frye packing plant employees
— 1 Fireman who died subsequently from refrigerant gases inhaled searching bldg. ruins
–32 Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27. “SFD History: 1838-1945.”
–32 Time. “Test Pilot No. 1.” 3-1-1943.
–30 Gero. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. 1999, p. 23.
–10 Civilian crewmen on XB-29 prototype
–20 Persons on the ground.
–30 Graff, Cory. Shot to Hell. 2003, p. 38.
Narrative Information
Baugher: “41-003… Boeing XB-29 Superfortress…003 [41-3] crashed into Frye slaughterhouse and meat processing plant in Seattle Feb 18, 1943 after inflight fire. Eddie Allen, Bob Dansfield, 9 other crew, 22 in building and one city fireman were killed.” (Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-1 to 41-6721). April 30, 2011 rev.)
Gero: “A trial flight of the second prototype of what was then the newest and largest American heavy bomber ended in a major disaster in a heavily urban area. With the intention of testing its power plant performance and cooling, propeller governing and two-engine capability, the XB-29 took off from Boeing Field, located at Renton.
“Less than 10 minutes later, a member of the crew radioed that the aircraft was returning due to a fire in its No. 1 power plant, which had been brought under control using the engine fire-extinguishing system. A subsequent transmission reported it at a height of 2,400ft (730m) and descending, and that the same engine was ablaze and the corresponding propeller had been feathered. The radio operator also requested immediate landing clearance, and asked that emergency equipment to stand by, but stated that the trouble was not serious; his voice did not indicate any undue stress. But the situation deteriorated rapidly. In the final message from 41-3, the crewman advised the airport control tower, ‘Have fire equipment ready. Am coming in with wing on fire.’
“Less than a minute later, and while on an approximately southerly heading, the four-engine aircraft struck a high-tension line and then slammed into a packing plant, bursting into flames on impact. Killed in the disaster were all 10 civilian crewmen of the aircraft, three of whom jumped out at a low altitude prior to the crash, and 20 persons on the ground. About a dozen others on the ground suffered injuries.
“….The fire was thought to have originated from the leakage of fuel and/or oil into the engine nacelle, ignited by contact with the exhaust pipe or shroud, by the operation of electrical equipment, by the failure of the accessory section of the power plant, or a particular accessory. Gasoline that leaked into the leading edge, primarily around the filler neck cover and drain, could also have been ignited through contact with the heated nacelle skin or by fire through the nacelle firewall openings. The source of the gasoline was believed to have been overflow from the fuel tank filler necks, through vent holes, and subsequent leakage around the filler cover plates and their fastenings into the leading edge. (The location of the filler neck assembly in the leading edge of the wing, an area of greatly reduced air pressure, and the fact that the filler cap cover and the cap itself did not seal tightly could have allowed gasoline to be sucked out in this manner.)
“Flames then apparently spread to the leading edge of the port wing prior to the extinguishing of the nacelle fire, without the knowledge of the crew. Through the effect of gravity and the flow of ventilating air, the fire must have progressed through the leading edge to the inboard nacelle, wheel well and into the bomb bay. As the fire consumed a magnesium wing de-icer valve casting, the force of the air entering the leading edge caused an explosion that was observed by witnesses on the ground. This blast probably tore loose the No. 2 filler neck well and assembly, thereby releasing a large quantity of fuel, producing an inferno that must have led to the failure of both port engines.
“In the final seconds before the crash, the pilots probably abandoned any hope of reaching the airport, and the aircraft’s undercarriage was extended, possibly to allow members of the crew to escape or to throw out important records of the flight. As the cabin filled with smoke, visibility would have been reduced, preventing them from maintaining control of the bomber. One of the recommended changes in the B-29 made in the investigative report on this crash was a relocation of the filler necks outside of the leading edge and re-design of the caps to prevent the leakage of fuel.” (Gero 1999, p. 23)
Mireles: “At 1226, a Boeing XB-29 suffering an in-flight fire crashed into the Frye & Company meat packing plant at 2203 Airport Way, Seattle, Washington, killing ten Boeing Aircraft Company crewmembers and 30 Frye employees on the ground. Twelve other Frye employees were seriously injured. A Seattle firefighter was killed and five others were seriously injured at the crash scene the day after the accident when they were poisoned by refrigerant gas that had escaped as they were battling a fire that had erupted in the smoldering ruins.
“This was the second B-29 prototype airplane (AAF serial #41-3) and it had taken off at 1209 from Boeing Field at Renton, Washington, on a flight to test engine performance and cooling, propeller governor performance, two-engine ceiling and general airplane performance. At 1217, a fire was noticed in the number-one engine and the crew radioed that the airplane was returning to the field. The flight crew activated the on-board fire extinguisher and it was thought that the fire was successfully extinguished. The airplane was flying north at an altitude of about 2,500 feet indicated when the number-one engine again burst into flames. The pilots feathered the number-one propeller and at 1222 a crewmember radioed the field that they were at 2,400 feet and descending with the number-one engine on fire. The crewmember requested that the fire equipment stand by for the emergency landing.
“The XB-29 was flying to the south and losing altitude rapidly, striking a power line before plunging into the top floor of the five-story meat packing plant where it exploded into flames at 1226. Investigation revealed that the fire was caused by the poor design of a wing leading edge fuel filler neck and cap. The fuel filler neck and fuel filler neck cover plates were located in the leading edge of the wing, and the low air pressure generated in these areas created a fuel leak that allowed fuel to enter the leading edge of the wing and the number-one engine nacelle. The raw fuel and fumes apparently accumulated in the leading edge wing structure and engine nacelle area and were probably ignited by contact with hot exhaust ducting or static electricity. The fire began to burn through the aircraft leading edge structures and the main inner wing areas and eventually to the bomb bay area. A magnesium de-icer valve casting burned fiercely, causing an explosion in the leading edge of the wing. This explosion ruptured the fuel filler neck and allowed raw fuel to escape, causing the port wing to erupt into massive flames. A crewmember was overheard on the radio/intercom saying to the pilot, “The wing spar is burning badly.” The landing gear was seen to extend before the airplane slammed into the packing plant. The airplane exploded violently and the building erupted into flames. The crash killed several important members of the B-29 program’s design and engineering teams and Boeing’s chief test pilot.”
“Boeing Aircraft Company employees killed in the crash were: [We put into single lines.]
Edmund T. Allen, Chief Boeing Test Pilot; [Crew totals to 10.]
Robert R. Dansfield, co-pilot;
Fritz Mohn, engineer;
Robert W. Maxfield, engineer;
Thomas R. Lankford, engineer;
Vincent W. North, engineer;
Raymond L. Basel, engineer…
Edward U, Warseba, engineer (tried to parachute to safety, but too low)
Claude E. Blaine, engineer (tried to parachute to safety, but too low)
Harry W. Ralston, engineer (tried to parachute to safety, but too low)
“Frye & Company employees killed on the ground were: [We put into 20 separate lines.]
Domingo Amoroso,
Harmon E. Burnison,
Harry Fargin,
Richard Faulkner,
Albert J. Fowler,
August Hoba,
Frederick Hoba,
Joseph A. Hoy,
John G. Huddleston,
Frank Kern,
Phillippe LeBeau,
Arthur Lindholm,
Frank Lopez,
Samson Oversoff,
Archille Ricci,
Mary Rosella,
John Skorpan,
Harry Tarasuk,
Oscar Tuft,
Nikifor Vaschenko, Seattle, died of his injuries on 2-21-43 at Marine Hospital
“….Seattle firefighter Luther D. Bonnar died of gas poisoning when he was overcome by refrigerant gas fumes that were released by burning refrigerator equipment…”
(Mireles 2006, Fatal Army AF Aviation Accidents in US 1941-1945, Vol. 1, p. 277.)
Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27: “Thursday, February 18, 1943, brought Seattle firsthand experience with a new danger being turned out in aircraft factories worldwide. The local Boeing Company was the largest American producer of bombers during the War. A new heavy bomber, a 4‑engine model, took off that morning on a test flight. What happened delayed the date of actual operational involvement of the model, B‑29. While enroute back to Boeing Field, a fire developed in one of the engines. The fire was initially smothered by the plane’s own C02 system while over Lake Washington, but flared up again and spread over the entire wing involving the other engine. The extinguishing systems expended, test pilot Edmond Allen attempted to maneuver the plane back to the field.
“The problem was that it could not gain altitude. As the plane approached downtown Seattle, a group meeting on the 21st floor of the Exchange Building looked out to see the stricken “bird” heading directly at them. Allen was just able to miss the building and steer out over Elliott Bay. He was then able to turn the plane toward the southeast on a landward course for Boeing Field. The inability of the plane to gain altitude caused three of the test crew to bail out over Seattle’s Industrial area. They perished, however, as they were too low for parachutes to open. The plane, now at rooftop level, ripped through several major cross‑town power lines. It slammed into the north wall of the 4‑story brick Frye Packing Company at 2203 Airport Way, demolishing that wall and immediately igniting wood frame cattleways adjacent to the big slaughter house.
“Burning fuel set fires in the sawdust and frame structures throughout the upper levels of the plant. Burning fuel ran down stairways and cattle ramps to lower floors. The time was 12:28 p.m., two minutes before the bulk of the crew of “Frye Packing” returned from lunch. A nightmarish scene greeted the first arriving fire units. A major fire engulfed the large brick building. Screaming hogs, their hair afire, ran everywhere. The truckmen, using their pick‑headed axes, killed the hogs whenever they could. Dead men lay on the ground.
“There were unsung heroes that day, men who risked their lives to enter the burning plant and carry out employees overcome by smoke or the ammonia escaping from ruptured refrigeration lines. Some of the heroes were “Frye” employees, some were servicemen, but as always there were the fire fighters. Fire Fighter Luther Bonner entered the basement searching for victims once too often. He was overcome by ammonia. Fortunately, another “unsung hero” of the day, Coast Guardsman John Massman, found Bonner, Captain Rod Graham, and three other overcome fire fighters, and dragged them to safety. Massman was overcome himself in the process and was transported to the hospital along with the others. Luther Bonner died that evening. In life loss, this tragedy was the largest in Seattle Fire Department history, a statistic still standing today. One fire fighter, all eleven B‑29 crew members, and twenty “Frye” employees died. Twenty‑five employees, eight fire fighters, and two servicemen suffered hospitalizing injuries.” (Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27. “SFD History: 1838-1945.”)
Time: “Over Seattle a big Boeing bomber was in trouble. Fire whipped from an engine nacelle, was extinguished, burst out again. Four men jumped. Too late. On Boeing Field, cleared of traffic when the fire was reported by radio, firemen waited for the plane to come in. There was not enough time. The bomber, now low in the air, dived down flaming, crashed into the Frye packing plant, where employees were at lunch.
“In those few moments, 32 died, eleven from the bomber’s crew, 21 in the flaming ruins of the packing plant. Among them was the greatest test pilot aviation had ever had. “Eddie” Allen, who had no peer in his combination of piloting virtuosity and engineering skill, had made his last flight. Airmen sadly agreed that probably no other man in aviation could be so hardly spared.
“Edmund Turney Allen had survived many a forced landing and some crashes in a quarter century. But he had always brought his defective ship in, had reported in carefully scientific terms what had happened and why. He had first-flown at least 80 types of aircraft, and, because he was also a research engineer, he was always able to find and report the changes that must be made to make an airplane safe and efficient….Most of the big ones were Eddie Allen’s babies—Douglas’ DCs, Boeing’s Stratoliner and Clipper, Consolidated’s four-motored Coronado, Curtiss-Wright’s Commando, Lockheed’s new Constellation (which he shook down last month). Greatest single tribute to his skill was that a big insurance company refused to cover such test flights unless Eddie Allen was up front.” (Time. “Test Pilot No. 1.” March 1, 1943.)
Sources
Baugher, Joseph F. 1941 USAAF Serial Numbers (41-1 to 41-6721). April 30, 2011 revision. Accessed 12-6-2011 at: http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1941_1.html
Broom, Jack. “How a top-secret tragedy helped give rise to the popular Frye Art Museum.” Seattle Times, 10-24-2002. Accessed 5-16-2024 at: https://archive.seattletimes.com/archive/?date=20021024&slug=frye24
Dougherty, Phil. “Prototype Boeing B-29 Superfortress bomber crashes into Seattle’s Frye Packing Company on February 18, 1943 (HistoryLing.org Essay 2874).” Historyling.org (The free online encyclopedia of Washington state history). Accessed 5-16-2024 at: https://www.historylink.org/file/2874
Gero, David. Military Aviation Disasters: Significant Losses Since 1908. UK and Newbury Park, CA: Patrick Stephens Limited, an imprint of Hayes Publishing, 1999.
Graff, Cory. Shot to Hell: The Stories and Photos of Ravaged WWII Warbirds. Zenith Imprint, 2003, 128 pages. Partially digitized by Google. At: http://books.google.com/books?id=FgpMyS3lzYcC
Mireles, Anthony J. Fatal Army Air Forces Aviation Accidents in the United States, 1941-1945 (Volume 1: Introduction, January 1941 – June 1943). Jefferson, NC: McFarland and Co., 2006
Museum of History & Industry, Seattle. “Frye & Company plant accident, Seattle, February 18, 1943.” Accessed 5-16-2024 at: https://digitalcollections.lib.washington.edu/digital/collection/imlsmohai/id/2204/
National Fire Protection Association. “Seattle Bomber Crash Fire,” 1943, p. 272-273.
San Antonio Light, TX. “34 Known Dead in Plane, Plant Mishap,” 2-22-1943. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/PdfViewerTags.aspx?img=68973421&firstvisit=true&src=search¤tResult=5
Seattle Fire Fighters Union Local 27. “SFD History: 1838-1945.” Accessed at: http://iaff27.org/content/view/28/43/
Time Magazine. “Test Pilot No. 1.” March 1, 1943. Accessed at: http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,932958-1,00.html