McClellan - Pendleton

On February 3, 1942 at 12:00 AM, McClellan - Pendleton experienced a crash involving Douglas B-18 Bolo, operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF, with the event recorded near Mt Wolf (Ochoco National Forest) Oregon.

The flight was categorized as military and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

4 people were known to be on board, 4 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 100.0%.

Crew on board: 4, crew fatalities: 4, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The crew was performing a flight from McClellan AFB (Sacramento) to Alaska with an intermediate stop in Pendleton, Oregon. En route, weather conditions deteriorated and the visibility was low due to snow falls. The twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Wolf located in the Ochoco National Forest, central east Oregon. SAR operations were suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft was found. The wreckage was eventually found on August 13, 1942 about 60 miles east of Prineville. All four occupants were killed. Crew (36th Squadron): 2nd Lt Richard J. Heiderstadt, pilot, 2nd LT Walter V. McShane, copilot, T/Sgt Michael R. Bittner, flight engineer, S/Sgt Donald R. Kirtland, radio operator.

Aircraft reference details include registration 39-26, MSN 2674, year of manufacture 1939.