45-21721

On February 7, 1952 at 12:00 AM, 45-21721 experienced a crash involving Boeing B-29 Superfortress, operated by United States Air Force - USAF, with the event recorded near Yokota AFB (Tokyo) Kanto.

The flight was categorized as bombing and the reported phase was takeoff (climb) at a city crash site.

13 people were known to be on board, 18 fatalities were recorded, 0 survivors were identified or estimated. This corresponds to an estimated fatality rate of 138.5%.

Crew on board: 13, crew fatalities: 13, passengers on board: 0, passenger fatalities: 0, other fatalities: 5.

Shortly after takeoff from Yokota AFB, while climbing in snow falls, the heavy bomber went out of control and crashed in a huge explosion on several houses located about 5 km northwest of the airfield. All 13 crew members and five people on the ground were killed. Crew: Col John Grable, pilot, 2nd Lt Richard Johnson, pilot, Cpt Robert Belcher, navigator, T/Sgt Robert Crutchfield, flight engineer, 1st Lt Allen Frisbee Baker, bombardier, Sgt Edward Caron, gunner, Cpl Edward Ebehart, gunner, Sgt Neal Heffernan, gunner, 1st Lt Robert Henry, Cpl Owen J. Imsdahl, Cpl Walter Setser, Maj Daniel D. Smith Jr., M/Sgt Howard Thompson.

Aircraft reference details include registration 45-21721, MSN 13615, year of manufacture 1945.