Flight Officer Hechtman was a Navigator aboard U.S. Army Air Corps TB-24J Liberator #42-78522, serving with the 421st Base Unit from Muroc Army Airfield (now Edwards Air Force Base) California.
During a gunnery and formation training flight over Death Valley, his bomber was collided with at 20,000 feet by B-24D #42-72862, which was co-piloted by Rex R Phillips .
Both aircraft fell to earth, Hechtman's craft disintegrated in flight and only one crew member escaped, when the top turret canopy came apart, and he was able to parachute and landed safely with only minor injuries.
The sixteen remaining airmen aboard both planes perished when they crashed on the salt flats, west of Furnace Creek.
The airmen killed aboard Hechtman's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman , Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen , Co-pilot
Flt. Off. John H Tilson , Bombardier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett , Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger , Engineer
Cpl. Richard A Lira , Radio Operator
PFC Donald C Becker , Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley , Gunner
~~
Entered the service from Illinois; Cook County; ASN T-129064
During a gunnery and formation training flight over Death Valley, his bomber was collided with at 20,000 feet by B-24D #42-72862, which was co-piloted by Rex R Phillips .
Both aircraft fell to earth, Hechtman's craft disintegrated in flight and only one crew member escaped, when the top turret canopy came apart, and he was able to parachute and landed safely with only minor injuries.
The sixteen remaining airmen aboard both planes perished when they crashed on the salt flats, west of Furnace Creek.
The airmen killed aboard Hechtman's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman , Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen , Co-pilot
Flt. Off. John H Tilson , Bombardier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett , Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger , Engineer
Cpl. Richard A Lira , Radio Operator
PFC Donald C Becker , Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley , Gunner
~~
Entered the service from Illinois; Cook County; ASN T-129064
Flight Officer Hechtman was a Navigator aboard U.S. Army Air Corps TB-24J Liberator #42-78522, serving with the 421st Base Unit from Muroc Army Airfield (now Edwards Air Force Base) California.
During a gunnery and formation training flight over Death Valley, his bomber was collided with at 20,000 feet by B-24D #42-72862, which was co-piloted by Rex R Phillips .
Both aircraft fell to earth, Hechtman's craft disintegrated in flight and only one crew member escaped, when the top turret canopy came apart, and he was able to parachute and landed safely with only minor injuries.
The sixteen remaining airmen aboard both planes perished when they crashed on the salt flats, west of Furnace Creek.
The airmen killed aboard Hechtman's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman , Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen , Co-pilot
Flt. Off. John H Tilson , Bombardier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett , Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger , Engineer
Cpl. Richard A Lira , Radio Operator
PFC Donald C Becker , Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley , Gunner
~~
Entered the service from Illinois; Cook County; ASN T-129064
During a gunnery and formation training flight over Death Valley, his bomber was collided with at 20,000 feet by B-24D #42-72862, which was co-piloted by Rex R Phillips .
Both aircraft fell to earth, Hechtman's craft disintegrated in flight and only one crew member escaped, when the top turret canopy came apart, and he was able to parachute and landed safely with only minor injuries.
The sixteen remaining airmen aboard both planes perished when they crashed on the salt flats, west of Furnace Creek.
The airmen killed aboard Hechtman's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman , Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen , Co-pilot
Flt. Off. John H Tilson , Bombardier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett , Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger , Engineer
Cpl. Richard A Lira , Radio Operator
PFC Donald C Becker , Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley , Gunner
~~
Entered the service from Illinois; Cook County; ASN T-129064
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FLT O, US ARMY AIR FORCES WORLD WAR II
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