List of accidents and incidents involving military aircraft (1945–1949): Difference between revisions

;14 June: "[[Vicksburg, Mississippi|VICKSBURG]], Miss, June 15 ([[Associated Press|AP]]) - Seventeen naval personnel, including two [[WAVES|Waves]], were killed and a Navy lieutenant was seriously injured yesterday (14 June) when a big transport plane exploded and crashed in a wooded area 16 miles northeast of here."<ref>Associated Press, "17 on Plane Killed", ''The San Bernardino Daily Sun'', San Bernardino, California, Saturday 16 June 1945, Volume 51, page 2.</ref> This account misstates the casualties' branch of service. The Aviation Archeology database lists USAAF [[Curtiss C-46 Commando|Curtiss C-46D-15-CU Commando]], ''44-77948'',<ref>http://www.joebaugher.com/usaf_serials/1944_5.html</ref> of the 811th Base Unit, [[Lawson Field]], Georgia, piloted by William A. Ross, as crashing due to weather six miles SE of Oak Ridge, Mississippi, this date.<ref>http://www.aviationarchaeology.com/src/AARmonthly/Jun1945S.htm</ref> "[[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]], Miss., June 15 ([[United Press|U.P.]]). - Army officials today investigated the crash of a plane near Oak Ridge, Miss., in which 17 persons, two of them women, were killed."<ref>United Press, "Investigate Crash", ''Santa Cruz Sentinel-News'', Santa Cruz, California, Saturday 16 June 1945, Volume 90, Number 144, page 1.</ref> The ''[[Sun Herald|Biloxi Daily Herald]]'' reports on 16 June that the sole survivor is Sgt. R. L. Bullock, of [[Somerset, New Jersey|Somerset]], New Jersey, an engineer on a [[Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress|B-17]] stationed at [[Laredo Air Force Base|Laredo]], Texas, who was thrown clear when the plane crashed and exploded. He managed "to grab some weeds and pull himself away" but not before suffering severe burns. He was taken to Mercy Hospital at Vicksburg. Bullock stated that after refuelling at [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]], Louisiana, and bound for Lawson Field, the flight encountered heavy overcast and storms. The C-46 flight engineer warned those aboard to adjust their safety belts just before the transport encountered two "[[Wind shear|air pockets]]", the first of which dropped the plane a thousand feet. "The pilot did everything he could to bring the ship out", recalled Bullock. "He never did lose control but the downward plunge was too rapid." The ''Daily Herald'' reported that the two female victims were a [[Women's Army Corps|Wac]] and a [[WAVES|Wave]].<ref>Associated Press, unknown headline, ''Biloxi Daily Herald'', Biloxi, Mississippi, Saturday 16 June 1945, pages 1, 7.</ref> "The earliest lightning-related accident for which a detailed description is available involved a U.S. Air Force [''sic''] Curtiss C-46D transport plane en route from [[Dallas, Texas|Dallas]] to Jackson, Mississippi, U.S., on June 14, 1945. While at 3,000 ft., one wing was struck by lightning. Unable to maintain altitude, the aircraft crashed into a wooded area."<ref>https://flightsafety.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/asw_jun10_p18-23.pdf</ref>