Private First Class Becker was an aerial gunner 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, Becker'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 Becker'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
Cpl. Richard A Lira, Radio Operator
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from New York; ASN 42022291
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, Becker'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 Becker'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
Cpl. Richard A Lira, Radio Operator
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from New York; ASN 42022291
Private First Class Becker was an aerial gunner 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, Becker'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 Becker'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
Cpl. Richard A Lira, Radio Operator
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from New York; ASN 42022291
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, Becker'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 Becker'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
Cpl. Richard A Lira, Radio Operator
PFC Ted W Srygley, Gunner
Entered the service from New York; ASN 42022291
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