Crash Report
Subject: Aircraft Accident 19 March 1945 – Five
miles east of Durham, California, involving P-38L-1 AAF 44-23785
assigned Chico Army Air Field, Chico, California
To: Commanding General, Army Air Forces, Washington
25 D.C. ATTN: AC/AS, Intelligence, Counter Intelligence Division
Commanding General, Fourth Air Force, 190 New Montgomery St., San
Francisco 6, California, ATTN: Security and Intelligence Division.
Chief, Flying Safety, Winston-Salem 1, North Carolina.
1. The aircraft accident committee’s investigation
has failed to determine cause of subject accident.
2. No further intelligence investigation of subject
accident is being initiated because subject aircraft was destroyed
beyond ability to accurately determine its mechanical condition
or the possible existence of defects or sabotage.
3. Findings of the Aircraft Accident Committee
in connection with subject accident were as follows,
a. On 19 March
1945 at 1325 hours, Wm. E. Hines, Jr. 1st Lt. A.C. ASN
0-799182, assigned 433rd AAF BU, Chico, California, took
off from Chico Army Air Field as leader of a flight of four P-38
type aircraft. This flight, together with numerous other aircraft,
was scheduled for a cross country flight to Tonopah AAF, Tonopah,
Nevada. Approximately fifteen minutes after take off Lt. Hines’
Flight encountered overcast at 9,500 feet altitude and he ordered
his flight to make a 180 degree turn and return to Chico Army Air
Field. At this point two of the members of the flight had already
started instrument flying and the planes in the flight became separated.
Two planes immediately returned to Chico Army Air Field and Lt.
Hines and one other plane separately gained altitude in an apparent
attempt to break out of the overcast. The latter two planes were
known to have attained an altitude of approximately 25,000 feet
by Chico Army Air Field Fighter Control in response to a request
for a position fix by Lt. Hines. Nothing further was heard from
Lt. Hines until his plane crashes at 1717 hours approximately fifteen
miles southeast of the field several persons witnessed the descent
of subject plane. The most reliable witness who was located two
an one half miles from the scene of the crash observed subject plane
break through the overcast at approximately 7,500 feet. Witness
is licensed pilot and has logged in excess of 1800 hours. He stated
that his attention was attracted by the sound of airplane motors
turning at high RPM. He looked up and saw subject plane break through
the overcast at an almost vertical dive and at very high speed,
He was certain that the plane made several slow rolls on its longitudinal
axis between the time it broke through the overcast until it crashed
into the ground, but the witness was equally certain that the plane
was not in and uncontrolled spin nor did it spiral in. All witnesses
agreed that the plane was traveling at a high rate of speed and
none of the witnesses observed smoke or fire coming from the subject
plane, nor did they notice any parts detaching themselves from the
plane during descent. Subject aircraft struck in a field containing
large sandstone formations. The maximum penetration into the ground
was approximately five feet. Parts of the plane were scattered over
an area of several acres and an examination of the scene conclusively
indicates that the subject plane struck in an almost vertical attitude.
The pilot was killed and the plane completely destroyed. Very little
fire was evident except that at the moment of impact a cloud of
smoke and fire was seen to rise, but the plane was disintegrated
to such an extent that little or no fire followed the impact, it
is believed certain that no effort was made by Lt. Hines to parachute
from the falling plane. Lt. Hines was an experienced pilot. He had
a total of 675 hours in military type aircraft, of which 343 hours
had been in P-38 type aircraft.
continued
Stu’s Notes: I have been meaning to
do the above story for a long time. So many stories and so
little time, I believe with all my heart they should be told.
We drive by where many of these brave men died and we do not even
know they lost their life so long ago. I actually duck hunted
exactly where 3 young men died in a bomber crash and did not know,
I’m working on that story thanks to Don Rystrom. I probably
won’t duck hunt there again and every time I go by I’ll have different
thoughts. This is just one of 50 or more stories in our Butte
County of training accidents think of the thousands all over
America at our many Army, Navy, Air force, Marine and National Guard
Bases. Some from Oroville died in training. I’ve said
this before and probably will again, they didn’t die in the war
but they died for their country. One Oroville friend of mine
told me his dad told him long ago that your Uncle came home in a
box from the training camp. Well I got a phone call a while
back from Ron Womack, who said he heard about me and I was writing
about plane crashes. For years he knew of one near Butte Collage
and he would show me. Of all the crash reports I have only
ones says East of Durham. We got permission from a very nice
man, made a date and last Thursday off we went. What a beautiful
hike we walked for over 3 hours pausing just long enough to admire
things along the way. We finally reached the top of a sandstone
peak and there was the depression in the ground where a young man
dreams were lost so many years ago. It was a beautiful spot
you could see for miles all around. In a crash such as that
you know some of that young man is still there. A most sacred
isolated spot untouched by man except for on that very sad long
ago day. We thought about taking a metal detector up there
but we didn’t, I’m glad for that. Pieces of the plane
have been found there in the past long after the Army was done at
the site. I’m 70 years old and I can hike around on beautiful
days like that day only because of my freedom paid for by our men
and women of our Armed Forces. Pray for them where ever they
go, when you see them thank them.