-
- 50832
- LC-47J
-
- Douglas C/N 26983
- Ordered by USAAF as C-47B-20-DK
- USAAF S/N 43-49722
Delivered to USN on 2 Jan 1945 as R4D-6
- Assigned to NAS Banana River FL for "Project B"
- Assigned to Naval Aero Lab at NAS Banana River in Oct 1945
- Assigned to NAS Quonset Point RI in Sept 1947
- Assigned to NAS Columbus in Dec 1947
- There is a break in the records
- Assigned to NAWC China Lake in Sptember 1956
- Reassigned to the USMC in Hawaii in 1960
- Redesignated C-47J in 1962
- Converted to LC-47J
- Assigned to VX-6 on 6 November 1965
-
- Disopsition: Crashed on the Ross Ice Shelf on 2 February 1966
-
From: Bill Spindler <spindle@attglobal.net>
Antarctic Journal 1/74:
"The third [DF 66] aircraft accident involved an LC-47J (Buno 50832) that crashed
while in a landing approach at Mile 60 (78°51'S-159°28'W) on the Army-Navy Trail on
February 2, 1966 [sic]. The airplane stalled while about 200 feet above the surface. The
right wing dipped, the pilot corrected and the left wing dropped. The plane hit the snow
surface while nearly
inverted. The wings broke off and the fuselage broke in two places before the plane caught
fire and the JATO canisters on board exploded (U. S. Navy Task Force 43, 1966)."
"All six men on the plane were killed: Lieutenant Harold M. Morris, aircraft
commander; Lieutenant William D. Fordell, copilot; Lieutenant Commander Ronald Rosenthal,
navigator; AT1 Richard S. Simmons, radioman; ADJ3 Charles C. Kelley, plane captain, and
ADR3 Wayne M. Shattuck, plane captain (trainee) (Air Development Squadron Six,
1966)."
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