Old news P-38 crash near Pittsburgh
Sat Jun 27, 2009 5:54 pm
A friend told me a story that many years ago, like 1940's or 50's he and his brothers were wathcing planes land at the Allegheny County Airport or then Bettis Field, and that a P-38 crashed near the airport, but not on it. He told me a funny story that went with the events. I was wondering if anyone had information on this. THere was also the big mystery B-25 that went into the river, along with a DC-3 or a C-47 that did as well.
Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:16 pm
P-38 bought it going into Greater Pitt in 1950's IIRC......... (Bettis Field was LONG gone by then)...... Young low time pilot in a P-38 plus weather and maybe some mechanical problem = disaster.......
Mark H
Mark H
Sat Jun 27, 2009 6:20 pm
This one involved a pilot that lived. The plane didn't make the field, and he had to walk the rest of the way to the airport. My freind and his brother were sitting on a hill overlooking the airport, and said that they saw him walking their direction, as he got closer, his pant leg of his flight suit was burned and still smoking!! AS he passed them he was swearing under his breath. The Fire Dept came, and one of them said that a P-38 went itno the then woods.
Sat Jun 27, 2009 7:43 pm
I learned to fly at KAGC back in the 70's and heard the same story of a P-38 crashing on final for 31.
Found this on Accident-Report.com
43/02/03 P-38 43-2397 PITTSBURGH, PA
43/11/12 P-38 42-67227 PITTSBURGH, PA
KAGC,
The story of Allegheny County Airport began in June 1928, when county residents authorized a $1.5 million bond issue to acquire land for an airport.
At that time, Bettis Field, also known as Pittsburgh-McKeesport Airport and dedicated in 1926, was the area's air flight hub.
Located on the present grounds of the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, it also served as the landing area for the early mail planes.
On Sept. 11, 1931, Allegheny County Airport opened.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06250/71 ... JgFYOMMC&C
KAGC & Bettis Field are only about a mile or so apart.
A little bit about Greater PIT,
Until the beginning of World War II, Moon Township, PA was mostly a rural agricultural area. It was too far from downtown Pittsburgh to be considered the "suburb" that it is today, although it was served solely by Pittsburgh media and state/federal services. In the early 1920s, John A. Bell of Carnegie purchased a number of small farms in Moon and established a major commercial dairy farm on his 1,900 acres (7.7 km2) of land. He was bought out by Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Reick and C.F. Nettrour, owners of the established "Reick's" Dairy, who doubled the number of cattle at the farm.
By 1940, the United States was becoming involved in World War II. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) identified that the Pittsburgh area needed a military airport to defend the industrial wealth of the area, and provide a training base and stop-over facility. The agricultural expanses of Moon Township were attractive to the early airport planners in the city. The WPA bought the Bell Farm and began construction of the runways.
In 1944, Allegheny County officials proposed to expand the military airport with the addition of a commercial passenger terminal in order to relieve the Allegheny County Airport, which was built in 1926 and whose capacity was quickly becoming insufficient to support the growing demand for air travel. Ground was broken on the new airport on July 18, 1946. The new terminal building would eventually cost $33 million to build and was built exclusively by Pittsburgh-area companies. The new airport, christened as Greater Pittsburgh Airport (renamed Greater Pittsburgh International Airport in 1972 upon the opening of the International Arrivals Building) opened on May 31, 1952. The first flight occurred on June 3, 1952. In its full year of operation in 1953, over 1.4 million passengers used the terminal. At that time, "Greater Pitt" was considered "modern" and spacious. In fact, the airport was the largest in the United States, second only to Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport) in New York when it was completed 5 years later.
Regards,
Mike
Found this on Accident-Report.com
43/02/03 P-38 43-2397 PITTSBURGH, PA
43/11/12 P-38 42-67227 PITTSBURGH, PA
KAGC,
The story of Allegheny County Airport began in June 1928, when county residents authorized a $1.5 million bond issue to acquire land for an airport.
At that time, Bettis Field, also known as Pittsburgh-McKeesport Airport and dedicated in 1926, was the area's air flight hub.
Located on the present grounds of the Bettis Atomic Power Laboratory in West Mifflin, it also served as the landing area for the early mail planes.
On Sept. 11, 1931, Allegheny County Airport opened.
Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/06250/71 ... JgFYOMMC&C
KAGC & Bettis Field are only about a mile or so apart.
A little bit about Greater PIT,
Until the beginning of World War II, Moon Township, PA was mostly a rural agricultural area. It was too far from downtown Pittsburgh to be considered the "suburb" that it is today, although it was served solely by Pittsburgh media and state/federal services. In the early 1920s, John A. Bell of Carnegie purchased a number of small farms in Moon and established a major commercial dairy farm on his 1,900 acres (7.7 km2) of land. He was bought out by Mr. and Mrs. E.E. Reick and C.F. Nettrour, owners of the established "Reick's" Dairy, who doubled the number of cattle at the farm.
By 1940, the United States was becoming involved in World War II. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) identified that the Pittsburgh area needed a military airport to defend the industrial wealth of the area, and provide a training base and stop-over facility. The agricultural expanses of Moon Township were attractive to the early airport planners in the city. The WPA bought the Bell Farm and began construction of the runways.
In 1944, Allegheny County officials proposed to expand the military airport with the addition of a commercial passenger terminal in order to relieve the Allegheny County Airport, which was built in 1926 and whose capacity was quickly becoming insufficient to support the growing demand for air travel. Ground was broken on the new airport on July 18, 1946. The new terminal building would eventually cost $33 million to build and was built exclusively by Pittsburgh-area companies. The new airport, christened as Greater Pittsburgh Airport (renamed Greater Pittsburgh International Airport in 1972 upon the opening of the International Arrivals Building) opened on May 31, 1952. The first flight occurred on June 3, 1952. In its full year of operation in 1953, over 1.4 million passengers used the terminal. At that time, "Greater Pitt" was considered "modern" and spacious. In fact, the airport was the largest in the United States, second only to Idlewild Airport (now JFK Airport) in New York when it was completed 5 years later.
Regards,
Mike
Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:29 pm
i heard the rapid current & silt level all but covered the b-25 wreckage from that long stirred river. of course, chris i have to nag about the p-80 wind screen again. please post after 3 years ya pittsburgh puke who killed cleveland again!!! 
Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:39 pm
tom d. friedman wrote:i heard the rapid current & silt level all but covered the b-25 wreckage from that long stirred river. of course, chris i have to nag about the p-80 wind screen again. please post after 3 years ya pittsburgh puke who killed cleveland again!!!
Ha Ha I will post some when I get home after the 4th, I promise. I am making a really cool display out of it.
Sat Jun 27, 2009 11:43 pm
THe old Greater Pitt Airport terminal was stylish, and was a really beautiful building. The NASM asked about using it to display airliners and mailplanes in, making Pittsburgh a branch of the NASM. The building was declared a historical monument, and after a bunch of arguing, Allegheny County destroyed the building, saying that all they had to do was pay a fine, and then they could move on and build on it. Today an FBO is there that is not the busiest. THe thing that they could not agree on? How much to charge for parking.
Sun Jun 28, 2009 12:04 am
monongohilha river...... without spell check...... right or wrong??
Sun Jun 28, 2009 7:43 am
Monongahela, Ha ha that word is the true test as to whether or not someone is a true Pittsburgher