Boeing B-29 Superfortress

United States Air Force - USAF

The aircraft, a trainer conversion of a B-29 four engine bomber, and its crew were with the 5040th Radar Evaluation Squadron based at Elmendorf Air Force Base near Anchorage. On this day, they were on a routine radar-calibration training mission that was to last about 10 hours. Flying south down the Susitna Valley in bad weather, however, they strayed 27 miles off course into the Talkeetna Mountains. At 1822LT, the aircraft crashed into an unnamed glacier at an altitude of 5,600 feet and some 39 miles southeast of Talkeetna, just northeast of the Hatcher Pass. Six crew were killed while four others were injured. Crew: Major Robert A. Butler, † Captain Richard O. Seaman, † Captain Erwin Stolfich, † Captain Edward A. Valiant, † 1st Lieutenant William J. Schreffler, † Airman Basic James R. Roberson, † Staff Sergeant Calvin K. Campbell, Staff Sergeant Robert J. McMurray, Technical Sergeant Manuel Garza, 1st Lieutenant Claire W. Johnson. Thanks to Adam Elliott for his wonderful website and history: http://adamspictureblog.blogspot.ch/2013/02/bomber-glacier.html

United States Air Force - USAF

The Boeing KB-29P Superfortress left RAF Sculthorpe on a training mission to south of France. While cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet in low visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane struck another USAF Boeing KB-29P Superfortress that was flying in front of it. The first KB-29, registered 44-69846, was carrying a crew of ten and lost speed for undetermined reason. Following the collision, both airplanes went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Morigny, about 25 km south of Saint-Lô. On the ten crew members aboard 44-69846, one survived. On board 44-83906, five crew survived while four others were killed. It appears that some of the survivors were able to bail out prior to impact. Among those killed were M/Sgt. Lawrence M. Grigory, A2c Arthur B. Kosier and A3c Franklin D. Schweigert.

United States Air Force - USAF

The Boeing KB-29P Superfortress left RAF Sculthorpe on a training mission to south of France. While cruising at an altitude of 15,000 feet in low visibility due to poor weather conditions, the airplane lost speed and was struck by a second USAF Boeing KB-29P Superfortress registered 44-83906 that was carrying a crew of nine. Both airplanes went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field located in Morigny, about 25 km south of Saint-Lô. On the ten crew members, one survived. On board the second aircraft, five crew survived while four others were killed. It appears that some of the survivors were able to bail out prior to impact.

United States Air Force - USAF

The crew was completing a night training mission at Bergstrom AFB. On final approach, the airplane was too low and crashed in flames short of runway. Four crew members were rescued while five others were killed. Few hours later, one of the survivor died from his injuries. Those killed were: Lt Ronald Rosetti, Lt Robert E. Smith, Sgt Edward Clifford Clemmons, Sgt Thomas Salazar, A2c Michael Bryan McIntosh, Lt Don Anderson Berg.

United States Air Force - USAF

Nineteen minutes after his departure from Elmendorf AFB, while cruising at an altitude of 4,200 feet, the crew contacted ATC when the airplane struck Mt Bald located about 11 miles east of Talkeetna. As the airplane was fully loaded with fuel, a huge explosion occurred on impact. The aircraft was destroyed and all eight crew members were killed. Crew (508th Air Refueling Squadron): 1st Lt Thomas H. Patton, pilot, 2nd Lt James D. Dellinger, copilot, 1st Lt Lionel E. Reid, navigator, 1st Lt Luther G. Lamm, M/Sgt Otto D. McAdams, T/Sgt Thurman C. Rainer, S/Sgt John B. Pyland, A2c William P. Hodgson.

United States Air Force - USAF

The crew was performing a flight from RAF Molesworth, Cambridgeshire, to Stuttgart. While approaching Stuttgart-Echterdingen Airport by night, the crew was contacted by ATC and rerouted to Fürstenfeldbruck Airbase near Munich due to insufficient visibility caused by foggy conditions. Few minutes later, while cruising at low height, the airplane hit the slope of Mt Teckberg located about 1,5 km east of Owen. All ten crew members were killed.

United States Air Force - USAF

The crew was engaged in a local training sortie out from Kadena AFB. After completing low-level maneuvers, the crew was trying to get height when, flying in clouds, the airplane struck a hill located 5 km southeast of Naha. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all ten crew members were killed. Crew (581st Air Resupply Group): Victor C. Marston 9.

United States Air Force - USAF

Shortly after takeoff from Nagoya-Komaki Airport, while on a refueling mission, the aircraft suffered an engine failure. Six crew members were able to bail out before the airplane crashed in a huge explosion about 25 km southwest of the airport. The five crewmen who remained in the aircraft were killed.

United States Air Force - USAF

The crew was performing a flight from Sioux City to Ogden-Hill AFB, Utah. Upon arrival, the pilots mistook Ogden-Hinckley Municipal Airport for the nearly Ogden-Hill Airbase. After touchdown on a too short runway for this kind of aircraft, the heavy bomber overran, hit a 10-foot wide drainage ditch, crossed a highway and came to rest in flames. A crew member, James A. Gerwick, was killed, while six other occupants were injured. The aircraft was destroyed.

United States Air Force - USAF

The heavy bomber left Andersen AFB at 0605LT on its way back to Mountain Home AFB, Idaho, via Kwajalein Island. Shortly after takeoff, the engine number two failed. The crew was able to shot it down and feathered the propeller. On final approach to runway 07R, after passing through the last cloud layer, the pilot-in-command decided to make a go around and following a circuit before starting a second approach few minutes later. While struggling to land the second time, he turned the B-29 into the feathered propeller at too steep of an angle, with the landing gear down, and flaps retracted which caused the bomber to lose lift and control. The aircraft banked 80° to the left and crashed in a near vertical position onto several houses located short of runway. Among the 16 occupants, all four crew members and five passengers were killed, seven others were injured. On the ground, ten people were killed, among them six kids and two entire families. Crew: 1st Lt Henry G. Oetgen, pilot, † 1st Lt Sophus Eddie Larsen, copilot, † 1st Lt Dominick J. Christopher, navigator, † T/Sgt John M. Reilly, flight engineer, † 1st Lt Howard L. DeBoer, bombardier, † S/Sgt Homer A. Pickrell, gunner, † T/Sgt Fred Leard, † A3c Donald J. Wagner, † A2c Francis L. Murray, † 1st Lt Jack Patton, A2c Robert L. Jensen, A1c Donald C. Van Doren, A1c William J. Backman, A2c Nelson H. Graham, A2c Roberto Duran, A2c Walter R. Newby. Those killed on the ground were: Lt Col Benjamin L. Mills, his wife Agnes, and his three daughters Margaret 9, Helen 5, and Martha 2, Maj Gerald A. Orken, his wife Shirley, his daughter Vivian 5, and son Steven 3, Bonnie Kimball, 11, daughter of Cpt Stanley J. Kimball. Source: http://www.andersen.af.mil/News/Article-Display/Article/638565/60th-anniversary-of-the-worst-peacetime-accident-at-andersen/