The Maury Island UFO Incident: The Story behind the Air Force’s first military plane crash Read Online Free Page A

hold the airplane
down to gain speed so others could get out. As he was pulling out of
the dive the airplane rolled and the red light was visible above the
flames at all times circling in a wide arc. The airplane was at about
8000 or 9000 feet when he started to cork screw out of control.
I’ve had experience as a civilian pilot and have seen a Corsair and B-26
crash and a B-25 crash in the Marshall Islands.
All three of these
accidents occurred at night.
    “It is the opinion of the accident board that an exhaust stack either
burned or fell off exhausting flame into the engine cowl creating engine
fire.
    “After leveling off at 10,000 feet on course Sgt. Mathews observed
sparks flying over the bomb bay and believed the source to be the
junction box and the main hydraulic reservoir in the bomb bay.
Immediately thereafter the pilot called the engineer’s attention to the
left engine which was on fire.”
According to the flight engineer’s statement, flames were first seen
emitting from the power section on the outboard side of the left
engine.
The fire extinguisher to the left engine was operated and the mixture
control and fuel shut-off valves were cut off.
The fire was next observed burning through the cowl flaps.
Upon receiving the pilot’s order to abandon the aircraft, the flight
engineer secured all the chutes for the crew, helped the pilot, co-pilot,
and passenger fasten the parachutes to their harnesses, and then
followed the passenger out of the aircraft.
    Lt. Brown quickly told Sgt. Taff how to pull the rip cord when he
was sure he was clear of the ship and actually forcibly shoved him out
of the plane into the night.”
Taff related a good ten minutes had
elapsed between the time he parachuted out at 10,000 ft. until the fire
reached serious proportions and the plane started to dive.
Woodrow D. Mathews, crew chief of the bomber reported helping
Davidson and Brown into their parachutes and that at the time he
jumped, flames from the blazing left engine were pouring into the
cockpit. It was reported that Brown was “standing in the aisle ready to
leave the plane “when Mathews himself jumped out.
Brown was found outside the plane 50 yards away at the crash site with
his parachute harness on. Matthews related that the only reason he
could see that the officers did not get out was that the left wing might
have crumpled, trapping them in the plane.
T/4 Woodrow D. Mathews, crew chief of the bomber who put the
parachute on Sgt. Taff saving his life was proposed for the Soldier’s
Medal.
    The aircraft crashed at approximately an 80 degree angle into a
heavily wooded area and exploded upon contact with the ground
The outer panel of the left wing was found intact approximately 500
yards from the main point of impact.
The wreckage was confined to an area approximately 150 long by 100
wide. - Air Rescue Service Final Report, McChord Field, Tacoma Washington, Aug. 4,
1947
3:30 am - Seattle airway Traffic Control reported aircraft crash. State
police were investigating.
    3:32 am - Air Force requested Portland Airway contact with Army
131c, the only Army aircraft in vicinity, on Channels “C” and “O”
VHF. Channel “A” at Portland was inoperative”
3:39 am Portland Airways advised that Portland Tower reported crash
to be B-25.
    3:41 am Air Force called Chief of Police in Kelso Washington. Office
advised aircraft crashed at 02:35am. State Police and Kelso Police are
searching.
3:42 am Portland Tower reported that Chief of Police in Kelso stated
that crash was still burning.
4:19 am Chief of Police Kelso reported crash and location. “Aircraft
crashed, burst into flames, and burned rapidly.
     
5:00 am Captain Manschneider advised he had contacted Maj. Sanders,
McChord Information
Officer and is
handling press
releases.
     
5:15 am – Seattle Airway Traffic control called for cross check of
available information.
     
5:25 am - Chief of Police, Kelso calls McChord and reported no luck
in finding