Evening star., 1952-11-28
50 Die in Crash
'0fki|itaryC.54
From Alaska
a Babies Are Amonq
IT Civilian Victims
Of Tacoma Tragedy
BY the Assoeioted Press

TACOMA, Wash, Nov. ga
four-engined C-54 military plane
from Alaska crashed in flames in
a field south of here shortly after
midnight and 36 of the 80 aboard
were believed dead.
While scattered fires still
marked the scene of the post
holiday tragedy. Pierce County
Deputy Coroner Larry Amundsen
said So were dead or missing.
Three survivors were rushed to
Tacoma hospitals.
The plane carried servicemen
and dependents. The bodies Of
four babies were among those
found scattered at the scene Of
the disaster.
Crashed Into Field.
At least two witnesses to the
tragedy said the plane was afire
as it "whooshed" down to a tree
flanked field about mile from
it's destination at McChord Air
Force Base.
Capt. Jack Easley, public in
formation officer at McChord, said
the early reports to the base in
dicated the plane struck a tree
while coming in through the heavy
fog for a ground-control approach
landing.
All but a section of the tail was
destroyed in the resulting fire and
explosion. Bodies were scattered
over 200 feet from the wreckage.
Adds to Wave of Crashes.
The crash added to the toll Of
a disastrous three weeks for mill
tary transport aviation around the
North Pacific rim.
If the death toll stands at So in
today's crash, it makes a total Of
1913 dead or presumed dead along
the arc from Korea to Alaska to
McChord and Montana. The total
includes 81 on three big transports
in Alaska. 55 in two Korea crashes,
8 in Montana and 8 in a Canadian
crash on Vancouver Island.
Home for Holidays.
Capt Easley said the plane was
returning servicemen and de-
pendents to the United States for
the holidays. It left Fairbanks
yesterday morning. stopped briefly
at Elmendorf Air Force Base at
Anchorage. then few directly to
Chord.
The manifest listed 18 military
passengers, IL civilians and crew
of seven. Capt. Easley said. Nine
OF the passengers were women and
several" were babies, he said.
The Pierce County coroner's
Office said 20 bodies, including four
babies. were removed from the
wreckage and one passenger died
en- route to a hospital.
known survivors included two
enlisted men and an 8-year -old
boy, Mr.. AmundSen said.
Witnesses said many Of thoss
killed were burned to death. Ed
Carl. one of the first at the scene.
said he could hear the cries of chill
dren in the mangled wreckage.
Witnesses See Fire.
Art Getchman, 18, who was
driving nearby, and Philip Bolden,
a McChord taxi driver who said
the plane flew low over his home,
were the witnesses who said the
plane appeared to be af1re.
Mr.. Getchman thought there
was fire in an engine on the left
side; Mr.. Bolden said it looked
like the entire right wing was
afire."
Both said the plane was ex-
tremely low.
Mr.. Getchman told a reporter:
IT couldn't hear the motors; it
was just big whoosh."
Il thought it was a meteor" he
added. 1T just seemed to slide
into the ground"
The only known survivors in
Tacoma hospitals early today
were:
Airman Curtis Redd, McChord
Base, burns.
Airman Bobby Wilson, Great
Falls, Mont. head injury, internal
injuries and burns;
An Alaskan boy who was listed
as Joseph Icoavitt, 8, broken legs
and burns.
First witnesses at the scene said
they could hear the heart-rending
cries of a baby in the burning
wreckage. They were helpless to
do anything about it.
Ironically, only the fog kept the
planes occupants from seeing the
(See PLANE, Page A-3.)