20th Century

1949 – Influenza (codes 480-483); pneumonia (codes 490-493) separately was 40,038) –4,602

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 18, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–4,602  Public Health Service. Vital Statistics…[US] 1949, Part II…Mortality Data…, p. 462.

Narrative Information

Influenza (CDC): “The flu is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses that infect the nose, throat, and sometimes the lungs. It can cause mild to severe illness, and at times can lead to death. The best way to prevent the flu is by getting a flu vaccine each year.” (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu). “Key Facts About Influenza (Flu).” 10-3-2017 update.)

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Influenza (Flu). “Key Facts About Influenza (Flu).” 10-3-2017 update. Accessed 6-17-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/flu/keyfacts.htm )

Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency. Vital Statistics of the United States 1949. Part II, Natality and Mortality Data for the United States Tabulated by Place of Residence. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1951. Accessed 9-18-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1949_2.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1949 – Whooping Cough                                                                                           —   727

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 18, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–727  Public Health Service. Vital Statistics…[US] 1949, Part II…Mortality Data…, p. 458.

Narrative Information

 CDC: “Pertussis, also known as whooping cough, is a highly contagious respiratory disease. It is caused by the bacterium Bordetella pertussis. Pertussis is known for uncontrollable, violent coughing which often makes it hard to breathe. After cough fits, someone with pertussis often needs to take deep breaths, which result in a ‘whooping’ sound. Pertussis can affect people of all ages, but can be very serious, even deadly, for babies less than a year old. The best way to protect against pertussis is by getting vaccinated.” (CDC. “Pertussis (Whooping Cough).” 8-7-2017.)

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. “Pertussis (Whooping Cough).” 8-7-2017. Accessed 6-22-2018 at: https://www.cdc.gov/pertussis/index.html

Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency. Vital Statistics of the United States 1949. Part II, Natality and Mortality Data for the United States Tabulated by Place of Residence. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1951. Accessed 9-18-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1949_2.pdf

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1949 – Typhus and other rickettsial diseases (codes 100-103. 105-108)                    —     37

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 18, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–37  Public Health Service. Vital Statistics…[US] 1949, Part II…Mortality Data…, p. 458.

Narrative Information

CDC on Typhus: “Epidemic typhus, also called louse-borne typhus, is an uncommon disease caused by a bacteria called Rickettsia prowazekii. Epidemic typhus is spread to people through contact with infected body lice. Though epidemic typhus was responsible for millions of deaths in previous centuries, it is now considered a rare disease. Occasionally, cases continue to occur, in areas where extreme overcrowding is common and body lice can travel from one person to another.  In the United States, rare cases of epidemic typhus, called sylvatic typhus, can occur. These cases occur when people are exposed to flying squirrels and their nests.

“Symptoms of epidemic typhus begin within 2 weeks after contact with infected body lice. Signs and symptoms may include:

  • Fever and chills                      
  • Rash
  • Headache
  • Rapid breathing
  • Body and muscle aches
  • Cough
  • Nausea
  • Vomiting
  • Confusion

 

“Epidemic typhus should be treated with the antibiotic doxycycline. Doxycycline can be used in persons of any age….There is no vaccine to prevent epidemic typhus….

“Body lice thrive in areas that are overcrowded and where people aren’t able to bathe or change clothes regularly. To avoid body louse infestations:

  • Bathe regularly and change into clean clothes at least once a week.
  • Wash louse-infested clothing at least once a week. Machine wash and dry infested clothing and bedding using hot water (at least 130°F), and dry on high heat when possible. Clothing and items that are not washable can be dry-cleaned OR sealed in a plastic bag and stored for 2 weeks.
  • Do not share clothing, beds, bedding, or towels used by a person who has body lice or is infected with typhus.
  • Treat bedding, uniforms, and other clothing with permethrin. Permethrin kills lice and may provide long-lasting protection for clothing for many washings. See product information to learn how long the protection will last. If treating items yourself, follow the product instructions carefully. Do NOT use permethrin products directly on skin. They are intended to treat clothing.
  • People should avoid contact with flying squirrels and their nests.

Sources

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Epidemic Typhus. Last reviewed 1-18-2019. Accessed 8-7-2019 at: https://www.cdc.gov/typhus/epidemic/index.html)

Public Health Service, Federal Security Agency. Vital Statistics of the United States 1949. Part II, Natality and Mortality Data for the United States Tabulated by Place of Residence. Washington, DC: US Government Printing Office, 1951. Accessed 9-18-2023 at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/vsus/VSUS_1949_2.pdf

 

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1948 — Dec 28, Airborne Transport charter crash (elec. sys.), San Juan PR to Miami, off FL–32

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 19, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  32  ASN. Accident description. Airborne Transport Douglas DC-3DST-144…28 Dec 1948.

—  32  CAB. AIR. Airborne Transport, Inc. – Miami, Florida, December. 28, 1948.  7-15-1949.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948:

“….Registration:  NC16002….Crew:  Fatalities: 3 / Occupants: 3.  Passengers: Fatalities 29 / Occupants: 29…Location: off Florida, USA (Gulf of Mexico)….Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger…

“Narrative: The DC-3 departed San Juan for Miami with some known problems in the electrical system and nearly discharged batteries. Takeoff clearance was given provided that the crew contacted San Juan Tower after take-off to file an IFR flight plan. This was not done. The aircraft continued to Miami however at 8500 feet cruising altitude. Last radio contact was with New Orleans at 04:13 when the pilot reported 50 miles South of Miami. Nothing more was heard from the flight. It is thought that the aircraft had already passed Florida at the Keys and was flying west over the Gulf of Mexico until fuel became exhausted. Radio contact was probably no longer possible due to electrical problems and exhausted batteries….” (Aviation Safety Network.  Accident description. Airborne Transport Douglas DC-3DST-144… 28 Dec 1948.)

Baugher: “Douglas C-49E….commandeered by USAAF.  56103 DST-144 c/n 1496 ex American Airlines NC16002.  To DSC May 29, 1942.  To civil registry as NC16002 (American Airlines *02 Tennessee* Jun 10, 1944 – C F Knight/Interamerican Aug 23, 1947 for lease to Airborne Transport Inc. Lost in flight between San Juan, PR, and Miami, FL. Dec 28, 1948.”  (Baugher.  1942 USAAF Serial Numbers (42-50027 to 42-57212). 11-7-2011 rev.)

Civil Aeronautics Board Accident Investigation Report (File No. 1-0118, 7-15-1949):  

“The Accident

“On December 28, 1948, a Douglas DC – 3, NC-16002, owned by Karl Knight of Miami, Florida, and leased to Airborne Transport, Inc., an irregular air carrier disappeared while en route from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami, Florida.

“History of the Flight 

“At 2203, 1 December 27, 1948, NC-16002 departed from Isla Grande Airport, San Juan, Puerto Rico, for Miami, Florida. According to the company passenger manifest filed with the Customs Department al San Juan, there were 29 passengers aboard. The crew consisted of Captain Robert E. Linquist, Copilot E. E. Hill, and Stewardess Mary Burke.

“Captain Linquist had filed an instrument flight plan with the CAA Air Route Traffic Control Center and the Puerto Rican Transportation Authority; however, this flight plan was cancelled after a delay due to battery difficulties on the airplane. Subsequently the pilot was authorized a VFR takeoff with the understanding that the flight was to remain in the vicinity of San Juan, and attempt to establish radio contact with the tower.  Once contact was established, an IFR flight plan would be filed enabling the aircraft to proceed to Miami. If this was impossible, the aircraft was to return to San Juan.

“Eleven minutes after takeoff the flight called the airport control tower.  The control tower did not receive the call but it was intercepted by CM Communications at San Juan, to which the flight reported that it was proceeding to Miami, Florida, according to an IFR plan.  CAA Communications at San Juan was unable to contact the flight again, although numerous attempts were made.  At 2323, the Overseas Foreign Air Route Traffic Control Center at Miami, Florida, received a radio communication from NC-16002 stating it was flying at 8.500 feet in accordance with instrument flight rules and that it estimated its time of arrival over South Caicos at 0033, and Miami at 0405, December 28, 1948.  The New Orleans Overseas Foreign Air Route Traffic Control Center intercepted a position report from NC-16002 at 0413, which stated it was 50 miles south of Miami.  This was the last known contact with the aircraft.  Unsuccessful attempts were made to contact the flight by CAA Communications from San Juan, Miami, and New Orleans.

“The Civil Aeronautics Board at Miami, Florida, was notified by CAA Communications on December 28, 1948, at 0830, that NC-l6002 was considerably overdue on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Miami. Florida. When it was definitely determined that the aircraft was missing, the United States Coast Guard was alerted and an extensive search was immediately started.

“Among those participating in the search were the U. S. Coast Guard, the U. S. Navy, the Fifth Rescue Squadron of the U. S. Air Forces and numerous civil aircraft.  Also actively engaged in the search were agencies of the Government of Nassau, the Dominican Republic and the Cuban Government. The search covered an area from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to Cape San Blas in Florida, the peninsula of Florida and the southern coastal area of the United States to Cape Romain, which is located approximately 45 miles north of Charleston, South Carolina.  The Gulf of Mexico adjacent to the coast of Florida, the island of Cuba, the north coast of Hispaniola and the Bahama Islands were also searched.  Over 1,300 plane hours were flown during the six days of search, from December 28, 1948, to January 3, 1940 in conjunction with the air search, a detachment from the Fifth Rescue Squadron, U. S. Air Forces, conducted a thorough investigation and ground search of portions of the north coast of Cuba.  The terrain was both mountainous and jungle, making the search difficult.

“Investigation

“….The aircraft was inspected by a CAA Designated Aircraft Maintenance Inspector, and found to be airworthy on December 23, 1948….

“Further investigation revealed that the company’s maintenance records were incomplete. Its Superintendent of Maintenance stated that, at a recent date, new batteries were installed in NC-16002, but no record of this installation was found. Also a San Juan repair agency reported that during October 1948, repair work was performed on a malfunctioning engine of NC-16002. However, evidence that this work was accomplished was not found.

“On December 27, 1948, at approximately 1940, NC-16002 landed at San Juan, Puerto Rico, after difficulty with the landing gear.  Captain Linquist reportedly said that when the landing gear was not locked. A repair agency on the airport was contacted by the Captain and asked to examine the aircrafts batteries. They were found to be discharged with the water level low. Advised that it would take several hours to recharge the batteries to their proper operating capacity, the Captain asked the mechanic to add water and return them to the aircraft without charging. The landing gear warning light system was reported as malfunctioning out was not repaired.

“At 2030, the crew of NC-16002 filed an IFR flight plan from San Juan to Miami, Florida, with the Flight Information Clerk at the airport and the Captain stated the aircraft was in good working order. However, one hour later the Flight Information Clerk was advised by the flight that the aircraft was having battery trouble and would be delayed. Due to this delay, the flight plan became invalid. Investigation disclosed that at approximately 2245, NC-16002 taxied to the end of Runway 27 and that the tower was unable to contact it by radio. The Chief of Aviation of the Puerto Rican Transportation Authority was informed of this difficulty. He immediately proceeded to the aircraft where he was advised by the crew that the aircraft’s radio receiver was functioning properly but that due to weak batteries the transmitter was not. After conferring with the crew and then with the tower by means of the emergency car radio, the Chief of Aviation authorized the flight to make a VFR takeoff. It was agreed that the flight would remain in the vicinity of San Juan until sufficient power was produced by the generators to transmit. If this was accomplished, a new IFR plan was to have been filed and the flight could proceed to Miami. The flight departed at approximately 2303 and eleven minutes later advised CAA Communications at San Juan it was unable to contact the tower and was proceeding to Miami on an IFR plan. Messages were intercepted from the flight while en route, but further attempts to contact the flight relative to the flight plan and to ascertain its position were unsuccessful.

“Examination of the weight and balance records of the flight indicated that the aircraft departed from San Juan with 650 gallons of fuel aboard. From contradictory weight and balance and passenger manifests prepared at San Juan, it appears that the aircraft was 118 pounds overweight at the time of departure….

“Analysis

“No examination of the wreckage was possible, as the aircraft is still missing. From the foregoing investigation it appears that the aircraft in an airworthy condition at the time of departure from Miami, Florida, on December 27, 1948. However, on landing at San Juan approximately seven hours later, difficulty was experienced with the landing gear warning lights. Though the aircraft batteries were found in a discharged condition they were returned to the aircraft without being recharged. No further examination of one aircraft’s electrical system, landing gear, or its warning lights was made. Under normal operation,. the batteries should have been charged to operating capacity after the seven-hour flight to San Juan. At the time of departure from San Juan the aircraft’s transmitter was not functioning due to discharged batteries. There was no report of any malfunctioning of any part of the aircraft other than the electrical system, either on the flight to San Juan or while there.

“The flight was cleared VFR orally by the Chief f Aviation with the understanding that it remain in the vicinity of San Juan until able to contact the tower, at which time an IFR flight plan to Miami, when filed, would be approved. The basis of this agreement was the belief that the aircraft’s generators would shortly produce sufficient current capacity to allow transmission. However, the aircraft, took off, and without further contact with the tower, continued on course. Although the original IFR flight plan had been cancelled due to delay in departure it is believed that the pilot thought that it either was, or could be, reinstated. This is substantiated by the fact that eleven minutes after takeoff, CAA Communications in San Juan received a message from the flight which advised that it was unable to contact the tower and was proceeding on the IFR flight plan to Miami.

“Testimony indicated that the aircraft was properly equipped with flotation gear, and navigational equipment. It is known that the aircraft’s transmitter was operating at 0413, December 28, 1948, when the New Orleans Overseas Foreign Airways Communications Station intercepted a position report which stated the flight was 50 miles south of Miami. It is possible, however, that some failure of the electrical system occurred subsequent to this transmission, making the aircraft’s radio and automatic compass inoperative. It is also possible that the pilot may have been in error as to his reported position. Since the aircraft had fuel for 7 1/2 hours of flight, and since the last message was intercepted approximately six hours and 10 minutes after takeoff, an error in location would be critical.

“A review of the weather along the route and at the time of the flight indicated a change in wind director from northwest to northeast as the flight neared Miami with no change in wind velocity from what was forecast. Without crew knowledge of this change, the aircraft could have drifted to the left of the course some 40-50 miles. This information was broadcast from Miami at 0015, out it is not known whether the flight received it….

“Findings

“On the basis of all available evidence the Board finds that: 

  • The carrier, aircraft, and the crew were certificated, however, as the time of take-off, the aircraft did not meet the requirements of the operating certificate.
  • The aircraft’s batteries, when examined at San Juan, were found in a discharged condition and returned to the aircraft without being recharged.
  • The aircraft’s electrical system, including the transmitter, was malfunctioning at the time of departure from San Juan….

“Probable Cause 

“The Board lacks sufficient information in this case to determine the probable cause.”

(CAB. AIR. Airborne Transport, Inc. – Miami, Florida, December. 28, 1948. 7-15-1949.)

Narrative Information

Dec 28: “Miami, Fla., Dec. 28 (UP) – A chartered passenger plane carrying a crew of three and 25 passengers is missing and presumed down at sea somewhere between San Juan, Puerto Rico, and Miami, the Coast Guard reported today.

“The plane, a DC-3 operated by the Airborne Transport company of New York City, took off from San Juan at 10:03 p. m. yesterday for Miami, where it was due at 4:03 a, m. today.

Signal Picked Up

“A garbled distress signal was picked up by the Civil Aeronautics authority radio station at New

Orleans, La., at about 4:15 a. m., indicating a position somewhere south of Miami.

“Coast Guard officers said nearly 20 Coast Guard, Navy and air sea rescue planes from fields in

Florida and Cuba were searching a wide area of the Atlantic and Caribbean.

“The distress signal was not a “positive contact,” the Coast Guard reported, but the search was concentrated in an area about 50 miles south of Miami.”  (Lubbock Evening Journal, TX.  “Plane Carrying 28 Is Missing.” 12-28-1948, p. 1.)

Dec 29: “Miami (UP) – A swarm of military and civilian aircraft took off at dawn today to begin the second day of searching for a chartered passenger plane missing over the Caribbean with 30 persons aboard.

“Three American crew members and 27 Puerto Rican men, women and children were known to be aboard the plane which vanished early Tuesday on a flight from San Juan, Puerto Rico, to New York.

“Coast guard officers directing the hunt added a blimp from Boca Chica naval air station to the searching aircraft and widened the search area to include the northern coast of Cuba.

“The plane’s pilot, Robert Linquist of Ft. Myers, Fla. Sent his one distress message at 4:15 a.m. Tuesday, six hours after he took off from San Juan.  He said then that he believed his position was about 50 miles south of Miami.  But a search from dawn to the last minute of daylight by 43 military planes and low-flying civilian craft failed to turn up a trace of the missing plane…..

“Besides Linquist, crew members aboard the chartered DC-3 were co-pilot Ernie Hill of Miami and stewardess Mary Burke of Jersey City.

“All passengers aboard the plane…were believed to be Puerto Ricans returning to New York after a Christmas visit to their homeland.

“If the plane went down at sea, chances for survival of those aboard was good, the coast guard said, since the plane carried three 10-man life rafts and life preservers for all hands.

“The plane’s lone feeble SOS picked up by a New Orleans civil aeronautics authority radio operator, set of an immediate 12-hour search over an area 1000 miles in diameter.” (Chester Times, PA. “Intensive Hunt Underway for Missing Plane.” 12-29-1948, p. 1.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948. Accident description. Airborne Transport Douglas DC-3DST-144… 28 Dec 1948. Accessed 12-15-2011 at: http://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19481228-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Accident Investigation Report. Airborne Transport, Inc. – Miami, Florida, December, 28, 1948 (File No. 1-0118). Washington, DC:  CAB, 7-15-1949. Accessed 9-19-2023 at: https://rosap.ntl.bts.gov/view/dot/33355

Chester Times, PA. “Intensive Hunt Underway for Missing Plane.” 12-29-1948, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=96562089

Lubbock Evening Journal, TX. “Plane Carrying 28 Is Missing.” 12-28-1948, p. 1. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=107666548

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1948 — Dec 22, USAF B-50 crash (congealed oil in manifold?) near Fairbanks, AK    –all 10

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 20, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—  10  Aviation Safety Network. USAF B-50 crash 6M SSW of Eielson AFB, AK, 12-22-1948.

—  10  Chester Times, PA.  “B-50 Probe Begun; 10 Killed in Crash.” 12-24-1948, p. 9.

—  10  Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO. “US B-50 Crashes…” 10-14-1949, 2. 

—  10  Titusville Herald, PA. “B-50 Crash in Alaska Fatal to Ten.” 12-24-1948, p. 1.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948:

“Date:                          22-Dec-1948

“Type:                         Boeing B-50A-10-BO Superfortress

“Owner/operator:        63rd  BSqn /43d BGp United States Air Force

“Registration:              46-106

“MSN:                         15736

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 10 / Occupants: 10

“Other fatalities:         0

….

“Location:                   6 miles SSW of Eielson AFB, Alaska – USA

“Phase:                        Unknown

“Nature:                      Military

“Departure airport:      Eielson AFB, Alaska

“Destination airport:   Eielson AFB, Alaska

“Narrative:

“The B-50A (pilot William J. Valentine) was one of the first five aircraft of this type deployed overseas from Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. The remaining aircraft were grounded after the crash until the cause could be determined. It appeared that the congealing of oil in the small-sized tubing of the aircraft’s manifold pressure regulator had caused the crash and modified regulators were subsequently installed in all B-50s.”

Newspapers

Dec 23, Associated Press: “Fairbanks, Alaska, Dec. 23. – (AP) — Ten men were killed last night in the first crash of one of the Air Force’s big new four-engined B-50 bombers. The 60-ton sky giant, an improved version of the B-29 Superfortress which flattened Japanese industry, crashed and burned on a training flight from the Eielson Air Force base. The charred wreckage was sighted from the air today in a timbered area ten miles south of the Eielson base. Two Ladd Field helicopters flew to the scene and returned to report all aboard had been killed.

“The Air Force took over the plane only two months ago, ordering a substantial quantity to form the backbone of its heavy bombardment fleet. All of its performance data has not been released, but the plane carries a bigger load faster than the B-29. Its four engines each turn up 3,500 horsepower, compared to 2,000 for the earlier model. It has a normal gross weight of 120,000 compared to 106,000 for the B-29.

“The plane, flown north for tests under severe Arctic conditions, was believed to have crashed soon after its takeoff at 9 p. m. yesterday. No message was received from it after it took to the air.

“The crash was the first for the B-50s, Air Force spokesman said, although not the first accident. On Nov. 10, two days after a group of five B-50s arrived from Tucson, Ariz., one was hit near the Eielson Field runway by a C-47 which veered into it.  Six of the B-50 crew were killed.

“The wreck scene was two miles south of the Tanana river. Ground parties were prevented from crossing the river to reach it late today because of the running water, but will do so tomorrow morning.

“The plane was assigned to the 43rd Bomb Group, based at the Davis-Monthan Air Force base, Tucson. Davis-Monthan officials said the crashed B-50 was one of five scheduled to return to Tucson Dec. 24 to spend Christmas at their home base.

“The B-50s were the first of three such groups to be flown north in rotation before March 15 for Arctic flying tests. 

“The weather was clear last night during the flight, with the temperature 15 below zero. The Eielson base was formerly known as the Mile 26 Field, located 26 miles from here.” (Titusville Herald, PA. “B-50 Crash in Alaska Fatal to Ten.” 12-24-1948, p. 1.)

Dec 24, International News Service: “Fairbanks, Alaska (INS) – An official investigation is underway today into the crash of the Air Force’s big new four-engined B-50 bomber in which 10 men were killed. The giant plane, on a routine training flight Thursday [Dec 23] from the Air force base near Fairbanks, crashed and burned 10 miles south of the field.

“The bomber was spotted by one of more than 20 planes put into the air when the missing plane was long overdue at Fairbanks on a training flight. Two helicopters were dispatched to the scene immediately and reported that none of the bomber crew of 10 had survived.

“The B-50 was one of five such planes which arrived in Alaska about two months ago for training under Arctic flying conditions….”  (Chester Times, PA.  “B-50 Probe Begun; 10 Killed in Crash.” 12-24-1948, p. 9.)

Oct 14, 1949, Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO: “A B-50 bomber crashed near Fairbanks, Alaska, last Dec. 22, killing all ten men aboard.” (Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO. “US B-50 Crashes in England with Live Bomb Load.” 10-14-1949, p. 2.)

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948. USAF B-50 crash 6M SSW of Eielson AFB, AK, 12-22-1948. Accessed 9-20-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/153616

Chester Times, PA. “B-50 Probe Begun; 10 Killed in Crash [Near Fairbanks, AK].” 12-24-1948, p. 9. Accessed at: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=96562058

Daily Capital News, Jefferson City, MO. “US B-50 Crashes in England with Live Bomb Load.” 10-14-1949, 2. At: http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=90770071

Titusville Herald, PA. “B-50 Crash in Alaska Fatal to Ten.” 12-24-1948, p. 1. Accessed at:  http://www.newspaperarchive.com/FullPagePdfViewer.aspx?img=104691378

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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1948 — Nov 18-20, Winter storm, near-blizzard/blizzard conditions, Pacific to Plains–      15

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 19, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

—>9  UP. “9 Die in Storm, Scores Missing. Near-Blizzard Batters State.” Racine Journal-Times. 11-20-1948, 1.

            –2  Montrose, CO area, car crash on slick highway.

–1  Springfield, CO area, man found frozen.

–1  Louisiana farmer electrocuted by touching wire blown down by strong winds.

–2  Willmar, MN. Head-on collision on icy road; two men.

–3  WA. Men who died in a snowstorm in the mountains.

Kansas            (  1)

–1  Hutchingson. Girl, 15, with diabetes, dies “when drifts blocked efforts to get her to a hospital.”[1]

Nebraska        (5-6)

–6  Dalstrom. “…The Winter of 1948-1949 in [NE].” Nebraska History, Vol. 82, 2002, p.113.

–5  Beatrice Daily Sun, NE. “Pickrell Farm Shelters 40; Blizzard Claims 5…” 11-21-1948, p.1.

–1  Elsie area farm, Nov 19. Chris Knoche; stove exploded during refueling.

–1  Lebanon area, Red Willow County, Nov 20. Exposure; farmer (Virgil Thomas).

–1  Seward, Seward Co. Heart attack shoveling snow; John F. Steinberg, 74.

–2  Stromsburg, Polk Co. Myron and Emerald Johnson (brothers) found frozen to death.[2]

 Narrative Information

Nov 19, AP: “Kansas City. AP – An early season blizzard paralyzed western Kansas today, isolating several communities and stranding hundreds of motorists. Power lines were down at Goodland, Quinter, Gorham, and Colby in the northwestern corner of the state, and Gov. Frank Carlson said he presumed other cities were in a similar plight, but crippled communications blocked reports. Garden City, population 7,000, was isolated after a 75 mile an hour windstorm piled up heavy drifts cutting rail and highway communication and severed all telephone and telegraph connections except one line. Capt. Tom Glasscock of the Dodge City highway patrol office said he had received 500 telephone calls from motorists who have been taken into farm homes. The Dodge City Globe said the Santa Fe railroad had picked up 150 motorists between Kinsley and Lakin, and estimated 800 more were stranded in that area. Many families were caught by surprise and were reported virtually foodless….

“The storm was sweeping to the east, due to cross the lower Great Lakes region tonight an tomorrow. Already schools were closed in parts of South Dakota and Minnesota as snow piled up to as much as 15 inches. To date, however, western Kansas appeared to be bearing the brunt of the storm….” (Associated Press. “Blizzard Paralyzes Western Kansas.” Centralia Evening Sentinel, IL. 11-19-1948, p. 1.)

Nov 21: “….Nebraska was not the only state hit by the storm. The late fall blizzard paralyzed a large strip of the great plains area from eastern Colorado to Minnesota. But Nebraska and western Kansas were hardest hit….” (Beatrice Daily Sun, NE. “Pickrell Farm Shelters 40; Blizzard Claims 5…” 11-21-1948, p. 2.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Blizzard Paralyzes Western Kansas.” Centralia Evening Sentinel, IL. 11-19-1948, p1. Accessed 9-19-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/centralia-evening-sentinel-nov-19-1948-p-1/

Associated Press. “Rescuing Still Goes on After Snowstorm.” Fairbury Daily News, NE. 11-20-1948, p. 1. Accessed 9-19-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/the-fairbury-daily-news-nov-20-1948-p-1/

Beatrice Daily Sun, NE. “Pickrell Farm Shelters 40; Blizzard Claims 5 Lives.” 11-21-1948, p. 1. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/beatrice-daily-sun-nov-21-1948-p-1/?tag

Dalstrom, Harl A. “I’m Never Going to Be Snowbound Again: The Winter of 1948-1949 in Nebraska.” Nebraska History, Vol. 82, 2002, pp. 110-166. Accessed 7-15-2017 at: http://www.nebraskahistory.org/publish/publicat/history/full-text/2002-Snowbound.pdf

United Press. “9 Die in Storm, Scores Missing. Near-Blizzard Batters State.” Racine Journal-Times. 11-20-1948, p.1. Accessed 9-19-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/racine-journal-times-nov-20-1948-p-1/

[1] Associated Press. “Rescuing Still Goes on After Snowstorm.” Fairbury Daily News, NE. 11-20-1948, p. 1.

[2] Notes that Myron Johnson, 48, and brother Emerald, 43, “died in an apparent effort to reach a farmhouse after their car ran out of gas. The frozen bodies ere found about 50 feet apart, some three-quarters of a mile from their car.”

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1948 – Nov 7, USAF B-29 out of Kadena AB, Okinawa, crash at sea ~230M N of Guam– 11

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Oct 1, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–11  INS. “11 Lost on B-29.” Endicott Daily Bulletin, NY. 11-9-1948, p. 3.

–11  Aviation Safety Network. USAF B-29B Superfortress crash, Pacific, bad weather, 11-7-1948.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948 (USAF B-29, 11-7-1948):

“Date:                          Sunday 7 November 1948

“Type:                         Boeing B-29B Superfortress

“Owner/operator         United States Air Force (USAF)

“Registration:              44-83996

“Fatalities:                   Fatalities: 11 / Occupants: 11

“Location:                   NE of Guam

….

“Departure airport:      Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan

“Destination airport:    Anderson AFB, Guam

“Narrative:                   Crashed in Pacific Ocean in bad weather.”

Newspapers

Nov 8, AP: “Tokyo, Nov. 8 (AP) – An air and surface search of the ocean 250 miles northwest of Guam for a missing B-29 continued today. The plane with an unannounced number of persons aboard has been missing since Saturday [Nov 6] on a flight from Okinawa to Guam. The bomber usually carries a crew of 11 men.” (Associated Press. “Missing Superfort Sought Near Guam.” The Amarillo Globe, TX. 11-8-1948, p. 4.)

Nov 9, INS: “Guam, (INS) – Hope waned today for the survival of 11 men aboard a B-29 missing somewhere northwest of Guam since early Sunday [7th]. The plane apparently crashed into the ocean about 230 miles from Guam.” (INS. “11 Lost on B-29.” Endicott Daily Bulletin, NY. 11-9-1948, p. 3.)

Sources

Associated Press. “Missing Superfort Sought Near Guam.” The Amarillo Globe, TX. 11-8-1948, p. 4. Accessed 10-1-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/amarillo-sunday-news-globe-nov-07-1948-p-125/

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948. USAF B-29B Superfortress crash, Pacific, bad weather, 11-7-1948. Accessed 10-1-2023 at:

https://aviation-safety.net/wikibase/173960

INS. “11 Lost on B-29.” Endicott Daily Bulletin, NY. 11-9-1948, p. 3. Accessed 10-1-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/endicott-daily-bulletin-nov-09-1948-p-3/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1948 — Nov 5, tornadoes, Madison/Yazoo/Tippah counties, MS/10, Harrisonburg LA/1–  11

–10  Grazulis.  Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, pp. 505, 940.

            –09  Madison, Yazoo Counties, MS.             (Grazulis 1993, p. 941.)

            –01  Mitchell, Tippah County, MS.                           “

            –01  Harrison, Catahoula Parish, LA.            (Grazulis 1993, p. 941.)

Breakout of tornado fatalities by locality:

Louisiana        

–1  Harrisonburg, Catahoula Parish. Mrs. J. C. Evans, about 30.[1]

Mississippi      

–6  Benton area, Yazoo Co., MS. Hattiesburg American, MS. “Tornadoes Kill 8, Injure 38.” 11-5-1948, p. 1.

            –1 Georgia White, 6.[2]

            –5 adults

–1  Ripley, Tippah Co., Hattiesburg American, MS. “Tornadoes Kill 8, Injure 38.” 11-5-1948, p. 1.

 Narrative Information

Grazulis: “LA Nov 5, 1948 01:30 1k 16inj…20m F2, La Salle/Catahoula [parishes] – …this tornado moved NE from the north shore of Catahoula Lake. A cluster of five homes were destroyed 2m S of Harrison.

Grazulis: “MS  NOV 5, 1948 0505 9k 39inj 200y 15m F3.  MADISON /YAZOO—Moved NNE from 5m S of Benton, destroying 95 buildings in that town. The deaths were in five small homes in the SE part of town. $500,000.” (Grazulis. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991. 1993, p. 940.)

Grazulis: “MS  NOV 5, 1948 06:30 1k  13inj  200y  4m  F2  Tippah [county] – Moved N, passing 7m E of Ripley and destroying 26 farm buildings, including several small homes. The death was in a small home at Mitchell. Larger homes were unroofed. $100,000.”

Newspaper

Nov 5, Hattiesburg American: “(AP) – Tornadoes killed at least eight persons and injured at least 38 others in the forth and central portions of Louisiana and Mississippi early today. Sheriff Sam Parker of Yazoo City, Miss., said a white child and five negroes were killed when a tornado struck near Benton, Miss., 10 miles east of Yazoo City. The sheriff said that the white child was named White but that he did not have the first name; nor the names of the negroes killed. He said he had reports of eight injured, several seriously. The officer described the twister as the ‘worst I ever saw.’ He said it was narrow but intense and rose and descended for 15 miles, demolishing at least 10 houses. The injured were being treated at the Yazoo City hospital.

“Other tornadoes struck across the middle of Catahoula parish (cunty) La., about 38 miles northwest of Natchez, Miss.; and at Ripley, Miss., close to the Tennessee line. At least one persons was killed at each place….” (Hattiesburg American, MS. “Tornadoes Kill 8, Injure 38.” 11-5-1948, p. 1.)

Sources

 Associated Press. “Five States Felt Effects of Tornadoes.” Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald, 11-6-1948, p. 1. Accessed 9-20-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com/biloxi-daily-herald-nov-06-1948-p-1/

 Grazulis, Thomas P. Significant Tornadoes 1680-1991: A Chronology and Analysis of Events. St. Johnsbury, VE: Environmental Films, 1993, 1,326 pages.

Hattiesburg American, MS. “Tornadoes Kill 8, Injure 38.” 11-5-1948, p. 1. Accessed 9-20-2023 at: https://newspaperarchive.com

 [1] Associated Press. “Five States Felt Effects of Tornadoes.” Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald, 11-6-1948, p. 1.

[2] Aged is from Assoc. Press. “Five States Felt Effects of Tornadoes.” Biloxi-Gulfport Daily Herald, 11-6-1948, p. 1.

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1948 — Nov 4, USN P2V2 crash, snow-filled canyon, Vancouver Isl. BC, Can. (found 1961)–9

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 19, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

— 9  Reuters. “Navy Airmen Buried; Plane Crashed in ’48.” The Oklahoman. 4-21-1990.

— 9  Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA. 

Narrative Information

Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial: “VP-1.  4 Nov 1948: LCDR Albert Hall and his crew of eight were lost when their P2V-2 crashed on Vancouver Island, B.C.” (Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA.)

Newspaper

 1990, Apr 21, Reuters: “Washington (Reuter). The remains of nine Navy airmen, including one from Oklahoma, were buried Friday in a single grave at Arlington National Cemetery. Among those buried was Wilbur Titsworth of Shawnee. The ceremony came more than 41 years after their plane crashed in a snow-filled Canadian canyon….

“The burial with full military honors ended a long episode that started when the nine died during a training flight Nov. 4, 1948, near Vancouver Island, British Columbia. Their twin-engine Neptune patrol plane smashed into the snow-covered base of a mountain near the island, where they had been stationed….

“After the Navy airmen crashed, 146 airplanes from the Coast Guard, Air Force, Navy and Royal Canadian Air Force searched for a year but failed to find the plane.

“Geologists discovered the wreckage in 1961. A Navy search team made its way through fierce weather to the site a year later. The team conducted a burial service and erected a memorial plaque….

“In addition to Titsworth, the airmen included: Albert Brown Hall of Dallas; Edward Swientek of Elgin, Ill.; George Cole of Portland, Maine; John Duval of Coffee, Ala.; Edwin Egeter of Middletown, Conn.; James Lytle of Sayville, N.Y.; Taz Rudd of Los Angeles; and John Wood of Buffalo, N.Y.” (Reuters. “Navy Airmen Buried; Plane Crashed in ’48.” The Oklahoman. 4-21-1990.)

Sources

Reuters. “Navy Airmen Buried; Plane Crashed in ’48.” The Oklahoman. 4-21-1990. Accessed 9-19-2023 at:

https://www.oklahoman.com/story/news/1990/04/21/navy-airmen-buried-plane-crashed-in-48/62567994007/

Whidbey Patrol Squadron Memorial, Veterans Memorial Park, Oak Harbor, WA. “Historical Background.” Accessed 11-13-2011 at:  http://patron2.com/files/wpsm_files/wpsm_22.html

 

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1948 — Nov 4, Pacific Alaska Air Express C-47 lost, presumably off Cape Spencer, AK–  17

Compiled by Wayne Blanchard Sep 20, 2023 for upload to: http://www.usdeadlyevents.com/

–17  Aviation Safety Network. Accident Description. Pacific Alaska Air Express, 4 Nov 1948.

–17  Civil Aeronautics Board. Preliminary Statement…Pacific Alaska Air Express DC-3…

–17  Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation. 2003, p. 51.

Narrative Information

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948:

“Date:                          Thursday 4 November 1948

“Type:                         Douglas C-47A-DK (DC-3)

“Operator:                   Pacific Alaska Air Express

“Registration:              NC66637

“MSN:                         11800

“First flight:                1943

….

“Crew:                         Fatalities:   2 / Occupants:   2

“Passengers:                Fatalities: 15 / Occupants: 15

“Total:                         Fatalities: 17 / Occupants: 17

“Aircraft damage:       Missing

….

“Location:                   off Cape Spencer, AK

“Phase:                        En route (ENR)

“Nature:                      Domestic Non Scheduled Passenger

“Departure airport:      Yakutat Airport, AK…USA

“Destination airport:   Annette Island Airport, AK…USA

“Narrative:

 

“At approximately 22:26, November 3, 1948. the flight departed Anchorage for Seattle via Homer, Yakutat, and Annette Island, Alaska. The flight arrived at Yakutat at 02:57. At Yakutat an instrument flight plan was filed specifying a cruising altitude of 10,000 feet to Annette Island. At 04:07, the flight took off from Yakutat. A position report was received from the flight by Gustavus Radio at 05:10 to the effect that the flight was cruising at 10,000 feet, 146 miles southeast of Yakutat, and that it estimated arriving over Sitka, Alaska, at 05:44. This was the last communication received from the flight. The plane was declared missing and the wreckage was never found.”

Civil Aeronautics Board. Preliminary Statement…Pacific Alaska Air Express DC-3…:

“On November 4, 1948, a Pacific Alaska Air Express DC-3, NC-66637, was reported missing between Yakutat, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington. The aircraft had not been located since that date, and the fifteen passengers and two crew members are presumed lost.

“At approximately 2236, November 3, 1948, the aircraft departed Anchorage for Seattle, Washington, via Homer, Yakutat, and Annette Island, Alaska, with a crew consisting of A. R. Kinnear, pilot, and R. A. Kinnear, pilot, and R. A. Wilson, copilot. The flight arrived at Yakutat, Alaska, at 0257, November 4, 1948, after a routine flight. The aircraft was refueled at Yakutat, all tanks were filled to capacity. Approximately at 0407, NC-66637 took off from Yakutat with the same crew, fifteen passengers, 800 gallons of fuel, and as far as is known, no cargo. A position report was received from the flight by Gustavus radio at 0510 reporting over the Cape Spencer intersection (146 miles southeast of Yakutat) and estimating Sitka (240 miles southeast of Yakutat) at 0544. This was the last communication received from the flight.

“Approximately one hour after the flight was due over Sitka, an emergency warning was issued by C.A.A. communications to all radio stations between Anchorage and Seattle. Also alerted was the Civil Aeronautics Board, the 10th Air and Sea Rescue Squadron, and the Coast Guard Air Facility. At 0700 the Coast Guard Air Facility dispatched a search plane to the Cape Spencer intersection area; however, there was no trace of the missing aircraft. Subsequently, from November 4 to November 23 an extensive search of the Sitka and Yakutat area was made by the Coast Buard and the 10th Air and Sea Rescue Squadron….To date no evidence of he aircraft or of the survivors has been found….”

Sources

Aviation Safety Network, Flight Safety Foundation, Database, 1948. Pacific Alaska Air Express C-47 (DC-3) disappears off Cape Spencer AK, 4 Nov 1948. Accessed 9-20-2023 at: https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19481104-0

Civil Aeronautics Board. Preliminary Statement of Facts Thus Far Developed Concerning Pacific Alaska Air Express DC-3 Which Was Reported Missing November 4, 1948, Between Yakutat, Alaska, and Seattle, Washington. Washington, DC: CAB, 3-16-1949. Accessed 9-20-2023 at: dot_33349_DS-1-1.pdf

Liefer, G. P. Broken Wings: Tragedy & Disaster in Alaska Civil Aviation. Blaine, WA:  Hancock House, 2003.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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