Warbird Information Exchange

I was on the Newspapers site looking for photos by Mell Kilpatrick in the Orange County (CA) Register, and came upon this story from January 15, 1957:





No BuNo listed, of course, so I checked Forgotten Props and found a match:

So there's more info for the listing (paging Scott Rose): Bailout due to engine fire, pilot and three on ground killed (the woman mentioned as critical did not make it), radarman survived.

(This was also an eerie precursor to another tragedy just two weeks later when an Air Force F-89 and a new DC-7 collided over the San Fernando Valley; this time sadly one falling plane did hit a schoolyard. Similarly, the Scorpion's radarman bailed out and survived but its pilot didn't, again along with three on the ground.)

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All right, Mister Dorfmann, start pullin'!
Pilot: "Flap switch works hard in down position."
Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

A different time for sure - listing the dead and thier family along with the home address. . . .

Tragic accident.

Tom P.

Service and sacrifice. RIP to all those affected by this tragedy.

Ken

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"Take care of the little things and the big things will take care of themselves."

And the surviving crewmember giving an interview to the press describing what went on before the crash.

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Remember the vets, the wonderful planes they flew and their sacrifices for a future many of them did not live to see.

Odd bit of trivia: the DC-7 wreckage landed in the playground of a school attended by 15 year old Ritchie Valens. He wasn't in school that day, but nightmares of the accident led to his fear of flying.

Struck me too - not sure if UK papers ever did that; more recently you might have seen a road mentioned but usually it's just the town - perhaps it was before the days of press intrusion.



Ironic to say the least...