Beech AT-7C #43-33510 departed Randolph Field in San Antonio for an administrative flight to the Army airfield in Wichita Falls, Texas. Concluding business at Sheppard Field, the airplane was not cleared for a direct return flight back to Randolph Field due to poor weather. The pilot flew to Fort Worth and landed and refueled before continuing onward for San Antonio.
Attempting to locate Randolph Field in poor weather and flying in instrument conditions, the AT-7 became lost and the pilot made circular patterns while attempting to lock onto a radio navigation beam. The aircraft crashed, three miles east of Twin Sisters, Texas. The crash killed three aboard, and one passenger was thrown from the wreckage and survived.
T/Sgt. Clyde W. Bartel was seriously injured, but at daylight was able to reach a nearby highway and flag down a passing farmer. He informed investigators that he noticed the gyro was indicating that the plane was upside down moments before crashing.
Investigators noted that the pilot had only 4 hours of flying experience in the AT-7 type and that he did not possess an instrument flying rating card.
The airmen killed were:
2LT John E Hyland, O-802399, MI, Pilot
PVT Richard Sussman, 39705498, CA, Passenger
~
Richard Sussman 1912-1944
Husband & Father
(Star of David)
Gussie Sussman Caplan
3-15-1965 Age 83
Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother
(Star of David)
Row 10
Garden of Shalom Sections 16 & 17
West Side of West Avenue
Total of 24 Rows Running N-S
Row 1 is Next to West Avenue
Row 1 Thru Row 11 are Section 16
Rows 12 Thur Rows 24 are Section 17
Row 24 is Next to the West Wall
Beech AT-7C #43-33510 departed Randolph Field in San Antonio for an administrative flight to the Army airfield in Wichita Falls, Texas. Concluding business at Sheppard Field, the airplane was not cleared for a direct return flight back to Randolph Field due to poor weather. The pilot flew to Fort Worth and landed and refueled before continuing onward for San Antonio.
Attempting to locate Randolph Field in poor weather and flying in instrument conditions, the AT-7 became lost and the pilot made circular patterns while attempting to lock onto a radio navigation beam. The aircraft crashed, three miles east of Twin Sisters, Texas. The crash killed three aboard, and one passenger was thrown from the wreckage and survived.
T/Sgt. Clyde W. Bartel was seriously injured, but at daylight was able to reach a nearby highway and flag down a passing farmer. He informed investigators that he noticed the gyro was indicating that the plane was upside down moments before crashing.
Investigators noted that the pilot had only 4 hours of flying experience in the AT-7 type and that he did not possess an instrument flying rating card.
The airmen killed were:
2LT John E Hyland, O-802399, MI, Pilot
PVT Richard Sussman, 39705498, CA, Passenger
~
Richard Sussman 1912-1944
Husband & Father
(Star of David)
Gussie Sussman Caplan
3-15-1965 Age 83
Beloved Mother, Grandmother, Great Grandmother
(Star of David)
Row 10
Garden of Shalom Sections 16 & 17
West Side of West Avenue
Total of 24 Rows Running N-S
Row 1 is Next to West Avenue
Row 1 Thru Row 11 are Section 16
Rows 12 Thur Rows 24 are Section 17
Row 24 is Next to the West Wall
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
