Corporal Lira was a Radio Operator 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, Lira'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 Lira's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman, Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen, Co-pilot
Flt. Off. Eugene E Hechtman, Navigator
Flt. Off. John H Tilson, Bombadier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett, Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger, Flight Engineer
PFC Donald C Becker, Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from California; ASN 39039276
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, Lira'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 Lira's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman, Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen, Co-pilot
Flt. Off. Eugene E Hechtman, Navigator
Flt. Off. John H Tilson, Bombadier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett, Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger, Flight Engineer
PFC Donald C Becker, Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from California; ASN 39039276
Corporal Lira was a Radio Operator 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, Lira'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 Lira's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman, Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen, Co-pilot
Flt. Off. Eugene E Hechtman, Navigator
Flt. Off. John H Tilson, Bombadier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett, Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger, Flight Engineer
PFC Donald C Becker, Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from California; ASN 39039276
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, Lira'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 Lira's aircraft:
2nd Lt. Ernest J Chapman, Pilot
2nd Lt. William F Johansen, Co-pilot
Flt. Off. Eugene E Hechtman, Navigator
Flt. Off. John H Tilson, Bombadier
Cpl. Louis Bartlett, Gunner
Cpl. Arlington S Leininger, Flight Engineer
PFC Donald C Becker, Gunner
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from California; ASN 39039276
Other Records
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
