The Key West citizen. [volume] (Key West, Fla.) 1879-current, 1953-06-18
Toll Muy
Mount TO
80 Murk
GLOBEMASTER
CRASHES IN
FLAMES NEAR
TOKYO TO-DAY
RY The Asseeiated Press


TOKYO ia giant CHA Globe
master pinwheeled out of the
murky sky near Tokyo today and
crashed in flames carrying at least
122 and possibly $50 Americans to
their deaths in history's worst air
disaster.
The Air Force said IS bodies had
been identified and the death toll
could be 127 or $50. The huge
doubledeek transport was carrying
12O to 123 Army engineers and
airmen back to battle stations in
Korea. The plane had a crew of
seven.
There were no survivors.
The Globemaster crushed sec.
onds after taking off from the
U. S. air base at Tachikawa, Is
miles west of Tokyo.
An eyewitness said the giant
plane "somersaulted like a bird
and plummeted TO the ground"
The plane was a special flight
for soldiers.
The worst previous air disaster
was the crash of another Globe
master near Larson Air Force
Base at Moses Lake, Wash, which
killed 86 last Dec. 20.
Associated Press photographer
Max Desfor reported from the
scene.
''The plane crashed in a muddy
rice field just in front of a bamboo
grove.
"An Air Force major from
Tachikawa said his men had re.
moved nearly $50 bodies"
Associated Press correspondent
Stan Carter, reporting from the
scene, said sickened Air Force
needles toiled under searchlights
carrying broken bodies TO ambu.
Iances across 100 yards Of deep
mud.
..One medic tried 10 esArteeM up
one body and put it on d stretcher.
The head fell off," Carter said.
The wreckage was all tangled
into one concentrated spot : the
plane must have come straight
down and exploded. There were
balls OF crumpIed metal so feet
high"
Names Of the dead viii not Be
released until next Of kin are mott
fled.
The Air Force issued the follow
ing statement:
"a u. S. Air Force C-I24 Globe
master. returning for a landing,
crashed shortly after takeon from
Tachikawa air installation west Of
Tokyo at 4:34 this afternoon, with
approximately 40 passengers and
q crew Of seven on board.
''The four engined transport
crashed and burned in a clearing
near the village Of Kodaira. four
miles eaSt-northeast of the air in
stallation rs miles west of Tokyo. :"
The Air Force said there was
some light rain and fog as the
plane left Tachikawa, but the
weather was not bad enough to
ground aircraft.
II said there was q ceiling of
about 1000 feet and visibility Of
about one mile. A spokesman said
the safety limits are a z50-foot
ceiling and half-mle visibility.
All Army rest and recuperation
leaves in Japan were cancelled
Thursday after the South Korean
government released 5000 anti
COMMUNIST war prisoners from
Allied compounds in Korea. But
it appearee probable that the men
aboard the doomed plane already
had completed their leave.
japanese firemen were the first
to reach the blazing plane.
Seven of as rushed TO the burn.
ing wreckage and pulled out seven
dying men" one Of them said.
AL the others were trapped Ia
the flames and We could do moth.
ing"
An 1s-year-old farmer, Sadao
MaEua. said 'there was no smoke
when il fell but fIame shot up
when Il crashed. We ran 10 the
field where the wreckage was scat.
tered all about There were many
bodies Of the dead thrown cut hy
the impact.
Last Friday the Air Force briefly
grounded all 6lobemasters AFTER
the failure 81 small generator parts
bad caused fires Ia the engines
Of tao planes Most Of the planes
fTanklnuR6 On pa-a Sexnne