Army Probes Death of 13 in Bomber Crash
Sacramento, Jan. 3. An Army board of inquiry today sought to ascertain from one survivor and hundreds of spectators why a B-17 Flying Fortress literally disintegrated in the air over McCellan field yesterday, killing 13 of 14 men aboard as it crashed in flaming wreckage on the airport runway.
Not Due To Land
The Fortress, based in Kingman field, Arizona was en route from McChord field, Tacoma, Wash., to Los Angeles. Public relations officers said it was not scheduled to land at McCellan field here, had not warned the field tower of its approach, and apparently crashed on the runway by pure coincidence.
Hundreds of army personnel and near-by residents saw the plane come hurtling out of the overcast above the field at 3000 feet spinning and burning and scattering bits of wreckage over 15 miles.
Engine Fell Off
One of it engines, later found on a golf course five miles away, already had dropped off, and part of one wing and other bits of the place fell away as the Fortress plummeted to the ground, exploding with a roar that brought thousands of curious to the air field.
Maj James W. Wergen, Salmas, attached to Kingman field was the only survivor. Witnesses saw him parachute to the field seconds after the crash, striking the concrete runway so hard he suffered four broken teeth and a possible hip fracture.
No Explanation
Wergen did not remember getting off of the plane or pulling his parachute ripcord, public relations officers reported after interviewing him at the field hospital. He could give no explanation of the crash, recalling only that the occupants were thrown together inside the fuselage as the plane seemingly went into a spin.
Fireman fought flames for two hours before they were able to remove the charred bodies of the 13 dead, 11 of whom were later identified after next of kin had been notified.
Names Of Dead
They were Capt. Frederick M. Klopfenstein, Tacoma, Wash., pilot; Second Lieut. Charles W. Williams, Seattle, copilot; Maj. Frank H. Winkler, Portland, Ore.; Capt. Willam L. McCurdy, Portland, Ore.; Second Lieut. James L. Battle, Alder, Wash.; Second Lieut. Thomas A. Quirk, Tacoma, Wash.; Second Lieut. James Randall, Sylvania, Ohio; Tech. Sergert. Gerald Z. Berg, Longview, Wash.; Corp. Ray B. Glazer, Puyallp, Wash.; Corp. Lloyd Krohn, Scanion, Minn.; Pvt. Clifford Tuck, Aberdeen, Wash.
Names of the other two dead were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Wergen is commanding officer of the sub base of the Kingman field gunnery school. His home is at 129 Port street, Salinas, where his wife Mrs Christine Wergen, was reported en route to Sacramento.
Published in The Times, San Mateo, California, Monday, 3 Jan 1944
Sacramento, Jan. 3. An Army board of inquiry today sought to ascertain from one survivor and hundreds of spectators why a B-17 Flying Fortress literally disintegrated in the air over McCellan field yesterday, killing 13 of 14 men aboard as it crashed in flaming wreckage on the airport runway.
Not Due To Land
The Fortress, based in Kingman field, Arizona was en route from McChord field, Tacoma, Wash., to Los Angeles. Public relations officers said it was not scheduled to land at McCellan field here, had not warned the field tower of its approach, and apparently crashed on the runway by pure coincidence.
Hundreds of army personnel and near-by residents saw the plane come hurtling out of the overcast above the field at 3000 feet spinning and burning and scattering bits of wreckage over 15 miles.
Engine Fell Off
One of it engines, later found on a golf course five miles away, already had dropped off, and part of one wing and other bits of the place fell away as the Fortress plummeted to the ground, exploding with a roar that brought thousands of curious to the air field.
Maj James W. Wergen, Salmas, attached to Kingman field was the only survivor. Witnesses saw him parachute to the field seconds after the crash, striking the concrete runway so hard he suffered four broken teeth and a possible hip fracture.
No Explanation
Wergen did not remember getting off of the plane or pulling his parachute ripcord, public relations officers reported after interviewing him at the field hospital. He could give no explanation of the crash, recalling only that the occupants were thrown together inside the fuselage as the plane seemingly went into a spin.
Fireman fought flames for two hours before they were able to remove the charred bodies of the 13 dead, 11 of whom were later identified after next of kin had been notified.
Names Of Dead
They were Capt. Frederick M. Klopfenstein, Tacoma, Wash., pilot; Second Lieut. Charles W. Williams, Seattle, copilot; Maj. Frank H. Winkler, Portland, Ore.; Capt. Willam L. McCurdy, Portland, Ore.; Second Lieut. James L. Battle, Alder, Wash.; Second Lieut. Thomas A. Quirk, Tacoma, Wash.; Second Lieut. James Randall, Sylvania, Ohio; Tech. Sergert. Gerald Z. Berg, Longview, Wash.; Corp. Ray B. Glazer, Puyallp, Wash.; Corp. Lloyd Krohn, Scanion, Minn.; Pvt. Clifford Tuck, Aberdeen, Wash.
Names of the other two dead were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Wergen is commanding officer of the sub base of the Kingman field gunnery school. His home is at 129 Port street, Salinas, where his wife Mrs Christine Wergen, was reported en route to Sacramento.
Published in The Times, San Mateo, California, Monday, 3 Jan 1944
Army Probes Death of 13 in Bomber Crash
Sacramento, Jan. 3. An Army board of inquiry today sought to ascertain from one survivor and hundreds of spectators why a B-17 Flying Fortress literally disintegrated in the air over McCellan field yesterday, killing 13 of 14 men aboard as it crashed in flaming wreckage on the airport runway.
Not Due To Land
The Fortress, based in Kingman field, Arizona was en route from McChord field, Tacoma, Wash., to Los Angeles. Public relations officers said it was not scheduled to land at McCellan field here, had not warned the field tower of its approach, and apparently crashed on the runway by pure coincidence.
Hundreds of army personnel and near-by residents saw the plane come hurtling out of the overcast above the field at 3000 feet spinning and burning and scattering bits of wreckage over 15 miles.
Engine Fell Off
One of it engines, later found on a golf course five miles away, already had dropped off, and part of one wing and other bits of the place fell away as the Fortress plummeted to the ground, exploding with a roar that brought thousands of curious to the air field.
Maj James W. Wergen, Salmas, attached to Kingman field was the only survivor. Witnesses saw him parachute to the field seconds after the crash, striking the concrete runway so hard he suffered four broken teeth and a possible hip fracture.
No Explanation
Wergen did not remember getting off of the plane or pulling his parachute ripcord, public relations officers reported after interviewing him at the field hospital. He could give no explanation of the crash, recalling only that the occupants were thrown together inside the fuselage as the plane seemingly went into a spin.
Fireman fought flames for two hours before they were able to remove the charred bodies of the 13 dead, 11 of whom were later identified after next of kin had been notified.
Names Of Dead
They were Capt. Frederick M. Klopfenstein, Tacoma, Wash., pilot; Second Lieut. Charles W. Williams, Seattle, copilot; Maj. Frank H. Winkler, Portland, Ore.; Capt. Willam L. McCurdy, Portland, Ore.; Second Lieut. James L. Battle, Alder, Wash.; Second Lieut. Thomas A. Quirk, Tacoma, Wash.; Second Lieut. James Randall, Sylvania, Ohio; Tech. Sergert. Gerald Z. Berg, Longview, Wash.; Corp. Ray B. Glazer, Puyallp, Wash.; Corp. Lloyd Krohn, Scanion, Minn.; Pvt. Clifford Tuck, Aberdeen, Wash.
Names of the other two dead were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Wergen is commanding officer of the sub base of the Kingman field gunnery school. His home is at 129 Port street, Salinas, where his wife Mrs Christine Wergen, was reported en route to Sacramento.
Published in The Times, San Mateo, California, Monday, 3 Jan 1944
Sacramento, Jan. 3. An Army board of inquiry today sought to ascertain from one survivor and hundreds of spectators why a B-17 Flying Fortress literally disintegrated in the air over McCellan field yesterday, killing 13 of 14 men aboard as it crashed in flaming wreckage on the airport runway.
Not Due To Land
The Fortress, based in Kingman field, Arizona was en route from McChord field, Tacoma, Wash., to Los Angeles. Public relations officers said it was not scheduled to land at McCellan field here, had not warned the field tower of its approach, and apparently crashed on the runway by pure coincidence.
Hundreds of army personnel and near-by residents saw the plane come hurtling out of the overcast above the field at 3000 feet spinning and burning and scattering bits of wreckage over 15 miles.
Engine Fell Off
One of it engines, later found on a golf course five miles away, already had dropped off, and part of one wing and other bits of the place fell away as the Fortress plummeted to the ground, exploding with a roar that brought thousands of curious to the air field.
Maj James W. Wergen, Salmas, attached to Kingman field was the only survivor. Witnesses saw him parachute to the field seconds after the crash, striking the concrete runway so hard he suffered four broken teeth and a possible hip fracture.
No Explanation
Wergen did not remember getting off of the plane or pulling his parachute ripcord, public relations officers reported after interviewing him at the field hospital. He could give no explanation of the crash, recalling only that the occupants were thrown together inside the fuselage as the plane seemingly went into a spin.
Fireman fought flames for two hours before they were able to remove the charred bodies of the 13 dead, 11 of whom were later identified after next of kin had been notified.
Names Of Dead
They were Capt. Frederick M. Klopfenstein, Tacoma, Wash., pilot; Second Lieut. Charles W. Williams, Seattle, copilot; Maj. Frank H. Winkler, Portland, Ore.; Capt. Willam L. McCurdy, Portland, Ore.; Second Lieut. James L. Battle, Alder, Wash.; Second Lieut. Thomas A. Quirk, Tacoma, Wash.; Second Lieut. James Randall, Sylvania, Ohio; Tech. Sergert. Gerald Z. Berg, Longview, Wash.; Corp. Ray B. Glazer, Puyallp, Wash.; Corp. Lloyd Krohn, Scanion, Minn.; Pvt. Clifford Tuck, Aberdeen, Wash.
Names of the other two dead were withheld pending notification of next of kin.
Wergen is commanding officer of the sub base of the Kingman field gunnery school. His home is at 129 Port street, Salinas, where his wife Mrs Christine Wergen, was reported en route to Sacramento.
Published in The Times, San Mateo, California, Monday, 3 Jan 1944
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JAMES
LESLIE
BATTLE
Washington
Lieut. Air Corps
January 2, 1944
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