GET HOMEITUS?
Several
active-duty, enlisted crew members from the locally based navigation
training unit were riding along in order to log flying hours to
qualify for flight pay.
Prior
to departure a request was made from the Governor’s office that the
flight itinerary include a quick stop at Miami airport to pick up
some civilian passenger seats for Governor Rhoads’C-47. The crew
chief of the gooney bird accompanied us on the flight,
For
reasons lost to time, the crew was augmented with additional
crewmembers. The crew consisted of an air tech [civilian] Instructor
pilot (IP), a Guardsman pilot who worked for the state highway
department, a Guardsman co-pilot who was employed by Sears, a
Guardsman navigator, an active duty air advisor boom operator and two
air technician flight engineers.
The
narrator of this report dead-headed on the Clinton County to Miami
leg that ended with an uneventful landing, and take off for home
base. As I recall we did not pick up any seats. The contact at Miami
airport knew nothing about passenger seats, so are trip to Miami was
in vain.
With
the narrator at the engineers panel, the return leg was uneventful up
to the point when, crossing the Ohio River, the crew contacted home
base. Clinton County reported low cloud cover, fog, rain and 0/0
visibility. After confirming that there was no chance of the weather
changing that day the IP decided to divert and spend the night in
Memphis and try to return the following day.
After
spending a long night in the transit quarters without even basic
toiletries or a change of clothes the crew gathered at Base
operations and checked the Clinton County weather. The forecast was
for only a slight change of conditions from the previous day but some
clearing was expected as the day progressed, however there was no
guarantees. The IP decided to give it a try and see if we could get
in. The rest of the crew, being anxious to get home, supported his
decision.
The
narrator, having flown the previous days leg became a passenger for
the home bound flight. We passengers were engaged in a heated game of
hearts as we crossed the Ohio River. The game was momentarily
interrupted by the information from the cockpit that the weather at
Clinton County was still marginal. The Control tower was reporting
200 feet and one half mile visibility, the legal limit for landing
With
the IP in the pilots seat for the expected low visibility approach
and landing Ground Control Approach (GCA) was contacted for a
radar-controlled approach to landing. At this time another tanker
crew on the ground, who was monitoring our approach on radio informed
the IP that they were waiting for him to get on the ground so that he
could go to Bermuda with them.
On
the first approach attempt GCA informed the pilot that he was at GCA
minimum altitude and if he did not have the runway in sight to
initiate a missed approach and go around for another attempt.
On
the second approach, again at GCA minimum altitude, the co-pilot
shouted that he had the runway in sight and the pilot continued the
approach to landing. As the aircraft broke out of the fog cover the
pilot saw that he was misaligned with the runway and the plane was
heading directly toward a C-119 on the right that was awaiting take
off clearance from the control tower. The pilot then made a violent
left bank just a few feet above the ground that resulted in the left
wing contacting the ground. The pilot then over corrected and the
aircraft veered off the right side of the runway missing the 119. The
plane plowed through the soft turf between the runway and the
adjoining taxiway and headed toward the hangar and control tower
area. To the narrator the plane appeared to be following its own
uncontrolled course.
During
this wild ride the narrator was in the rear compartment of the
aircraft crouching behind the left scanners seat. Aware that escape
hatches tend to get stuck in the airframe the narrator, with the boom
operator’s assistance managed to remove the left rear hatch prior
to impact.
The
aircraft next struck the taxiway and as a result veered away toward
the fuel and oil truck parking area.
The
plane was going so fast that when the left external wing tank
impacted and sheared off in an oil truck it was hardy noticeable.
Next the number one engine smashed into the side of a 10,000 gallon
fuel truck and we still rolled on for a bit. The aircraft finally
rolled to a stop a few feet short of the rapidly vacating control
tower.
The
narrator and the boom operator were preparing to exit the left rear
escape hatch using the escape rope when but when we looked out we saw
a stream of fire coming from behind number two engine and like a
liquid fuse heading for the destroyed fuel truck. Going to plan B we
noticed that the right over wing hatch had been opened by some one
coming from the cockpit and since the wing flaps were partially down
several people made a sliding departure from the now burning
aircraft. One of the passengers attempting to exit at the right rear
escape hatch panicked and froze in the opening only to be kicked in
the back by another passenger and he fell about 20 feet to the
ground, injuring his back.
After
counting heads and dragging the injured passenger clear we all got
away from the burning plane as fast as we could.
Image
of a similar accident
Fortunately
the rain had washed the fuel fuse away before it could reach the
leaking fuel truck and a major explosion and secondary fire was
avoided. The aircraft was consumed in flames but fire and rescue
personnel were finally able to extinguish the flames but not before
the aft section burned off and fell to the ground.
The
only injuries were to the passenger and to a couple of crew who
received rope burns on their hands due to not wearing gloves.
The
narrative was written 43 years after the incident and memory fades a
little in that time span. If readers find factual errors please feel
free to send in correction or additions. This story is being
published with the permission of the IP involved.
Paul
Hunter
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