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COP T AIR RESCUE SERVICE DETACHMENT 8 (624 AAF BU) MeChord Field, Tacoma, “ashington 4 August 1947 Final ‘“ission Report Commanding Officer Air Rescue Service WaeDill Field, Florida MISSION HUMBER Thirty-Nine. KATURE » Qe Ab O400 PST, 1 August 47, ARMY PLIGHT SERVICE notified this detachment that a plane had been seen to crash and burn thirteen (13) miles south of KELIO, Washington (46°C 'N, 122°65'W),. Se ACTION TAKEN Ge 1 Aug 47-¢ At 04:50 PET, APS received information from Mrs Ge Clark, loonl sheriff of KELSO, Wash., that the scene of the crash was fifteen (16) to twenty (20) miles east of KELSO in the vicinity ef OOBLE CREEK. The KSLSO Chief of Police saw an airoraft fly low over the town, then crash and burn to the east. The time was about O236 PST, A check of eiroraft mown to be in the vicinity revealed that 5-25 71516 had departed MCCHORD FIELD at 0212 PST for HAMILTON PIELD, California. The weather was reported as CPR, A full moon made visibility exceptionally good. The pilot's name was CAPT. W. C. DAVIDSON; the plane carried three (3) additional persona. the Base Operations Officer and Base PIO were notified. This detachment began organising « ground party of base personnel to supplement that being formed by the KELSO Chief of Police. At 0500 PST information was received from KELSO by APS that greund fog in the valleys at the seene of the crash was preventing a ground party from locating the plane. Since no communication had been received from 8-25 71516, it wae assumed thet it was the plane reported as crashed. ARS C+47 was preeflighted to treanaport the Army ground party to KELSO but a check of the field conditions there deemed it advisable to use a smaller aireraft. Of the two Ceéis available, one belonging to APS was unserviced after a night flights the other, belong- ing to AACS, was readied even though a responsible officer of that organ- ization was not present to authorize the flight. Fog at KSLSO prevented take-off until 0700 PST. The ground party, led by CAPT. W. Le LITTRELL and CAPT. Te He FORSBERG, consisted of six men ineluding a medical technician and a photographer. At OGOO PST, the KELSO Chief of Police notified AFS that a passenger of the crashed airplane wes in his office and had confirmed we.