42-6463

On August 15, 1942 at 12:00 AM, 42-6463 experienced a crash involving Douglas C-53 Skytrooper (DC-3), operated by United States Army Air Forces - USAAF, with the event recorded near Peru Massachusetts.

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

19 people were known to be on board, 16 fatalities were recorded, 3 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 84.2%.

Crew on board: 2, crew fatalities: 2, passengers on board: 17, passenger fatalities: 14, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is weather. The aircraft was on its way to Rhode Island when en route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low visibility due to fog. The crew lost his orientation and the aircraft deviated from the prescribed flight path. At an altitude of 2,200 feet, the aircraft hit tree tops and crashed in a wooded area located on the Garnett Peak, some 1,6 km east of Peru. Both pilots and 14 of the 17 paratroopers were killed. Crew killed were: Joseph J. Fields, Hyman B. Flinkman, Sam B. Hathorn, John H. Kelley, Robert W. Lamon, Frank A. Lastosky, Joseph C. Neurohr, Jack E. Palmer, Gardner W. Plain, Stanley L. Racine, Norman Sands, Steve L. Schollin, Charles M. Scott, James I. Thompson, Austin W. Weeces, James D. Westbrooks.

Aircraft reference details include registration 42-6463, MSN 4915, year of manufacture 1942.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 42.4378°, -73.0461°.