Eastern Airlines Flight 45
Encyclopedia
Eastern Air Lines Flight 45 was a domestic commercial airline flight that suffered a mid-air collision with a USAAF A-26 Invader
bomber over northeastern South Carolina
on 12 July 1945, forcing an emergency landing in a field by the airliner, and resulting in the crash of the bomber. There was one civilian fatality and two military fatalities.
On 12 July 1945, a US Army Air Forces A-26C-35-DT Invader
, 44-35553, on a training flight out of Florence Army Air Field
had mid-air collision with Eastern Air Lines
Flight 45 from Washington, D.C.
to Columbia, S.C., a DC-3-201C
, NC25647, c/n 2235, at ~3100 feet, 11.9 miles WNW of Florence, South Carolina
over the community of Lamar, South Carolina
, at 1436 hrs. A-26 vertical fin struck the port wing of the airliner, displacing engine of DC-3 which cut into fuselage; A-26 tail sheared off, two crew parachuted but only one survived. Crew of the bomber who died were Cpl. Robert B. Clapp and Cpl. Raleigh B. Allbaugh Jr., both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
. The surviving crew member's name was not released due to wartime censorship. DC-3 pilot belly landed in a cornfield after a 20-30 second descent, one passenger, a two-year-old boy, Stevens Wayne Williams, who suffered head injuries of 20 total on board was killed, dying while being transported to a hospital in Florence, South Carolina. His mother, Mrs. A. E. Williams, of Miami, Florida
, and two other persons were reported to be very seriously injured and were also taken to the Florence hospital.
According to "The State" newspaper on 13 July 1945 (page 1) the public relations office of the Florence Army Air Field
last night issued the following statement:
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
bomber over northeastern South Carolina
South Carolina
South Carolina is a state in the Deep South of the United States that borders Georgia to the south, North Carolina to the north, and the Atlantic Ocean to the east. Originally part of the Province of Carolina, the Province of South Carolina was one of the 13 colonies that declared independence...
on 12 July 1945, forcing an emergency landing in a field by the airliner, and resulting in the crash of the bomber. There was one civilian fatality and two military fatalities.
On 12 July 1945, a US Army Air Forces A-26C-35-DT Invader
A-26 Invader
The Douglas A-26 Invader was a United States twin-engined light attack bomber built by the Douglas Aircraft Co. during World War II that also saw service during several of the Cold War's major conflicts...
, 44-35553, on a training flight out of Florence Army Air Field
Florence Regional Airport
-History:The airport began with the purchase of of land in 1928. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force used the airport as a training base and added...
had mid-air collision with Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines
Eastern Air Lines was a major United States airline that existed from 1926 to 1991. Before its dissolution it was headquartered at Miami International Airport in unincorporated Miami-Dade County, Florida.-History:...
Flight 45 from Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
to Columbia, S.C., a DC-3-201C
Douglas DC-3
The Douglas DC-3 is an American fixed-wing propeller-driven aircraft whose speed and range revolutionized air transport in the 1930s and 1940s. Its lasting impact on the airline industry and World War II makes it one of the most significant transport aircraft ever made...
, NC25647, c/n 2235, at ~3100 feet, 11.9 miles WNW of Florence, South Carolina
Florence, South Carolina
-Municipal government and politics:The City of Florence has a council-manager form of government. The mayor and city council are elected every four years, with no term limits...
over the community of Lamar, South Carolina
Lamar, South Carolina
Lamar is a town in Darlington County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,015 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Florence Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Lamar is located at ....
, at 1436 hrs. A-26 vertical fin struck the port wing of the airliner, displacing engine of DC-3 which cut into fuselage; A-26 tail sheared off, two crew parachuted but only one survived. Crew of the bomber who died were Cpl. Robert B. Clapp and Cpl. Raleigh B. Allbaugh Jr., both of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
. The surviving crew member's name was not released due to wartime censorship. DC-3 pilot belly landed in a cornfield after a 20-30 second descent, one passenger, a two-year-old boy, Stevens Wayne Williams, who suffered head injuries of 20 total on board was killed, dying while being transported to a hospital in Florence, South Carolina. His mother, Mrs. A. E. Williams, of Miami, Florida
Miami, Florida
Miami is a city located on the Atlantic coast in southeastern Florida and the county seat of Miami-Dade County, the most populous county in Florida and the eighth-most populous county in the United States with a population of 2,500,625...
, and two other persons were reported to be very seriously injured and were also taken to the Florence hospital.
According to "The State" newspaper on 13 July 1945 (page 1) the public relations office of the Florence Army Air Field
Florence Regional Airport
-History:The airport began with the purchase of of land in 1928. During World War II, the United States Army Air Forces Third Air Force used the airport as a training base and added...
last night issued the following statement:
- "An Eastern Air Lines DC-3, bound for Miami from Washington miraculously escaped destruction at 2:45 this afternoon when its senior pilot, G. D. Davis, of Miami, Fla., brought his crippled ship in for a safe landing after a mid-air collision with a twin-motored military craft.
- " There were three fatalities, two of them military personnel, but except for the masterful handling of his plane by Pilot Davis, it is almost certain that the 17 passengers and three crew members of the airliner would also have perished.
- "Until the next of kin have been notified, names of the casualties have been withheld.
- "The accident occurred approximately ten miles west of Darlington in the community of Syracuse. From eye-witness accounts, including testimony by Davis and N. L. Martindale, co-pilot of the airliner, the two planes collided when in flight at an altitude of approximately 3,000 feet with the airliner letting down preparatory to a landing in Columbia.
- "Mr. Davis said that neither he nor his co-pilot saw the bomber until just before the mid-air crash. Passengers of the plane also failed to see the ship. In the collision the left engine of the airliner was torn off and the fuselage was badly cut just aft of the pilot's cockpit.
- "Despite this damage to his plane, Davis maintained full flight control and brought his ship in for an emergency landing.
- "The bomber, according to witness accounts, plunged to the earth with only one of the three occupants parachuting to safety. Although not seriously injured, the one member of the bomber who parachuted was unable to be questioned this evening.
- "One occupant of the airliner died."