McChord - McChord

On January 19, 1952 at 12:00 AM, McChord - McChord experienced a crash involving Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Mt Buckhorn Washington.

The flight was categorized as survey / patrol / reconnaissance and the reported phase was flight at a mountains crash site.

8 people were known to be on board, 3 fatalities were recorded, 5 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 37.5%.

Crew on board: 8, crew fatalities: 3, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 0.

The listed crash cause is human factor. The crew left McChord AFB that day on a reconnaissance mission, taking part to rescue operations after a Northwest Airlines C-54 disappeared in the region of the Queen Charlotte Island. While returning to its base by night, the airplane was too low and hit tree tops before crashing in a wooded area located on the slope of Mt Buckhorn, about 17,5 miles south of Sequim. Three crew members were killed while five others were rescued.

Aircraft reference details include registration 44-85746, MSN 8655, year of manufacture 1942.

Geospatial coordinates for this crash are approximately 47.6297°, -122.6321°.