1973 — March 8, US Army Golden Knights parachute team plane crash, Silk Hope, NC– 14

–14 Assoc. Press. “Engine Blamed For Crash.” Daily Times, Burlington, NC. 8-25-1973, p. 1.
–14 Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Silk Hope: 14 killed.”
–14 Children of Fallen Heroes. US Army Parachute Team, Golden Knights, Silk Hope, NC.
–14 Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC. “No Clues Uncovered by initial Probes.” 3-10-1974, 2.
–14 NYT. “Plane Flying Army Sky Divers Crashes in Carolina, Killing 14.” 3-9-1973, p. 73.

Narrative Information

BAAA:

“Date & Time: Mar 8, 1973 at 0910 LT
“Type of aircraft: Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
“Operator: U.S. Army
“Registration 0-50781
“Flight Phase: Flight
“Flight Type: Training
“Survivors: No
“Schedule: Fort Bragg – Fort Bragg
….
“Location: Silk Hope, North Carolina
….
“Crew on board: 3
“Crew fatalities: 3
“Pax on board: 11
“Pax fatalities: 11
“Other fatalities: 0
“Total Fatalities: 14

“Circumstances: The aircraft was engaged in a training sortie from Fort Bragg-Simmons AAF and was carrying 11 members of the USA Army Parachute Team Golden Knights, two pilots and a crew chief. About an hour after its departure, while cruising in poor weather conditions, the airplane went out of control and crashed in an open field. All 14 occupants were killed.

“Probable cause: It was determined that the accident was caused by the fact that the aircraft was overloaded. Apparently, a heavy metal plating floor had been added in Vietnam but not entered in the log book.”

Newspaper

March 9, NYT: “Siler City, N.C., March 8 (UPI) — A plane carrying members of the Army’s Golden Knights parachuting team to a Kansas performance exploded and crashed here today, killing all 14 persons on board. Spokesmen at Fort Bragg, home of the parachuting team and of the 82d Airborne Division, said that II members of the Knights were aboard the plane along with two pilots and the crew chief. A witness said that she saw the plane ‘spiraling nose down,’ and that at least one explosion occurred in the air before the crash. The fuselage of the C‐47 twin‐engine propeller driven plane partly buried itself in muddy cornfield. The tail of the plane was found a half mile away.

“The Golden Knights are made up of 62 parachutists picked from the entire Army. They perform sky diving and precision parachuting demonstrations at air shows and Army events across the nation.

“Army units arrived at the crash site after noon today and roped off the area, posting jeeps at the nearby highway and stationing soldiers to keep unauthorized persons away.

“A spokesman for the Golden Knights said that there had been no accidents during shows or earlier travel to his knowledge, but that one member of the group had been killed two weeks ago in a sky dive that had nothing to do with the military.

“The Army identified nine of the victims tonight, all of them members of the parachute team. They were Spec. 5 Michael D. Wasley, 25 years old; S. Sgt. Bartley L. Bullington, 36; Sgt. Francis P. Welch, 33; Pfc. Paul D. Albritton, 21; Chief Warrant Officer Richard A. Del Conte, 34; S. Sgt. Cecil E. Davis, 32; S. Sgt. James F. Rice, 36; S. Sgt. Raymond C. Kinser Jr., 25, and S. Sgt. Joseph C. Barbarick, 32.” (New York Times. “Plane Flying Army Sky Divers Crashes in Carolina, Killing 14.” 3-9-1973, p. 73.)

March 9, UPI: “Siler City (UPI) – An Army plane carrying a famed precision parachuting team from Ft. Bragg, crashed in a wooded area near here today. Reports from the scene said at least 15 persons were killed. Officials at Simmons Army Air Base at Ft. Bragg, 60 miles southeast of the crash site, said the plane was a black-painted EC47 used by the Golden Knights. ‘Based on our reports, the plane carried an 11-man parachute team, two pilots, one crew chief and possibly another man,’ said a Simmons spokesman. ‘We’re not sure.’

“The Golden Knights team puts on exhibitions at air shows and special events across the nation…Members of the Golden Knights are picked from the best parachutists from the entire Army and are headquartered at Ft. Bragg….The Golden Knights are comprised of 62 crack parachutists from across the nation, mostly from the enlisted ranks. Small groups of the entire contingent are assigned to appearances by the Department of the Army….

“A newsman at the scene said there were no survivors….Wreckage, parachutes and bodies were scattered over a half-mile area surrounding the crash, which occurred in a woods just off a highway near the tiny community of Silk Hope….” (UPI. “At Least 15 Killed. Plane Crashes near Siler City. From Bragg Base.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 3-8-1973, p. 1.)

March 9, Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC: Siler City (UPI) – With military police standing vigil also a rope cordoning several areas of farmland and forest. Army investigators are sifting through wreckage to determine the cause of a plane crash that killed 14 members of a crack parachuting team.

“The men’s bodies were taken away in military ambulances Thursday afternoon, about six hours after the C47 twin-engine prop plane spiraled with one wing missing into a muddy, freshly plowed cornfield. The missing wing was found in two pieces in a wooded area about 500 yards from the plane’s body. An eyewitness said she heard at least one explosion before the crash.

“Arm officials had no explanation and a special team of investigators did not arrive until late Thursday. A preliminary autopsy on the pilot and co-pilot showed no evidence of anything that might have caused the crash.

“The victims, on their way from Ft. Bragg to Kansas City, Mo., for a special demonstration, were members of the Golden Knights, a precision parachuting team that puts on air shows and enters national competition.

“The following victims were identified by the Army: Spec. 5 Michael Dee Wasley, 25, of Portsmouth, Va.; S Sgt. Bartley Leon Bullington, 36, of Rose Hill, Kan.; Sgt 1.C. Francis Patrick Welch, 33, of Boston Mass.; PFC Paul Dean Albritton, 22, of Peoria, Ill.; CWO Richard Arthur Del Conte, 34, of North Miami, Fla; S.Sgt. Cecil Emerson Davis, 43, of Philadelphia, Pa.; S.Sgt. James Franklin Rice, 36, of Tampa, Fla.; S.Sgt. Raymond Clarence Kinser Jr., 25, Springfield Mo.; S.Sgt. Joseph Charles Barbarick, 32, Terry Haute, Ind. The other victims were not immediately identified….” (United Press International. “At Least 15 Killed. Plane Crashes near Siler City. From Bragg Base.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 3-8-1973, p. 1.)

Mar 10, Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC: “No clues were turned up Friday by investigators making initial probes into the crash of a C037 transport plane that went down near Siler City Thursday killing 14 members of the U.S. Army Parachute Team. Two boards of inquiry were formed here Friday to investigate in depth causes that may have led to the mishap. ‘We have nothing yet,’ an Army spokesman said, ‘but we’ll keep looking until we do find out what happened. It may take some time,’….’ (Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC. “No Clues Uncovered by initial Probes.” 3010-1974, p. 2.)

Aug 25, AP: “Ft. Bragg (AP) – An army investigating team reported Friday that an engine malfunction of failure was the probable cause of an airplane crash in March that killed 11 members of the elite Golden Knights parachute team. The investigating team was formed March 9, one day after the Golden Knights’ C47 crashed into a muddy cornfield near Silk Hope in Chatham County. Three crewmen also died in the crash.

“An Army spokesman said the investigators indicated ‘the loss of aircraft control during an engine malfunction or failure’ was the most probable cause of the crash. The board also listed as ‘contributing factor’ possible electrical failure aboard the aircraft, communications difficulties and turbulent weather conditions….

“The crash occurred during a flight from Ft. Bragg, home base of the parachute team, to Overland Park, Kans.” (Associated Press. “Engine Blamed For Crash.” Daily Times, Burlington, NC. 8-25-1973, p. 1.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Engine Blamed For Crash.” Daily Times, Burlington, NC. 8-25-1973, p. 1. Accessed 1-12-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-times-news-aug-25-1973-p-4/

Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives. “Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL in Silk Hope: 14 killed.” Accessed 1-11-2022 at: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-douglas-c-47-dl-silk-hope-14-killed

Children of Fallen Heroes. US Army Parachute Team, Golden Knights, Silk Hope, NC, March 8th, 1973. Accessed 1-11-2022 at: https://www.childrenoffallenheroes.org/kennethwasley

Daily Times-News, Burlington, NC. “No Clues Uncovered by initial Probes.” 3-10-1973, p. 2. Accessed 1-12-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/burlington-daily-times-news-mar-10-1973-p-2/

New York Times. “Plane Flying Army Sky Divers Crashes in Carolina, Killing 14.” 3-9-1973, p. 73. Accessed 1-11-2022 at: https://www.nytimes.com/1973/03/09/archives/plane-flying-army-sky-divers-crashes-in-carolina-killing-14-tanker.html

United Press International. “At Least 15 Killed. Plane Crashes near Siler City. From Bragg Base.” Daily Independent, Kannapolis, NC, 3-8-1973, p. 1. Accessed 1-11-2022 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/kannapolis-daily-independent-mar-08-1973-p-1/