◆ SpookStack

Subjects Final Mission Report” 4 Auguet 1947 The belief that the crash was that of the unreported 3<25,. The Passenger, Sgts Ne Le TAPP, of FT. LAWTON, SEATTLE, was uninjured, but reported that the orew chief, T/Sgte We J. MATHEWS, was at a farm house near the scene of the rash and was injured. igte TAFF then led an ambulance to Sgte MATHEWS whe was subsequently taken to @ local hospital, At 0610 PST an attempt was made to telephone Sq, 3 at HAMILTON FIELD but no anawer was received; however, it was known that HAMILTON AFS was aware of the incident and would notify Sq. 3, At O700 PST Capt. LITTRELL departed in a Ce45 for KELSO, At O745 PST Sq B wae contacted by phone and givon @ flash report. At O905 PST CAPT LITTRELL phoned and informed that he had placed CAPTAIN FORSBERG in charge of Army personnel proceeding te the seene of the crash. No serial search was necessary es civiliens in the area knew tho exact location of the crash and had reported finding one (1) body in the wreekt.ce. CAPT. LITTRELL prepared to fly Sgt's TAFF and MATHEWS te MCCHORD FIELD e for medical attention, arriving et 0945 PST. The survivors steted that s they believed neither the pllot nor co-pilot hes parachuted from the planes ‘The cnuse of the incident was at thie time determined to be a fire in the left engine, CAPT LITTRELL was informed by Sete TAPF that he velieved classified documents had been aboard the planes CAPT FOKSBERG was instructed to take necessary precautions. An anbulance met the plane at MCCHORD Fi¢LD carrying the two survivors and took thom to the hospital. Inverrogetion revealed that the left engine had onught fire in the power section and flames and smoke had spread to the flight deck almeat imned- latelye the crew chief, MATHEWS, assisted TAFF in attaching his chest pack and TAPP abandoned the plane at an estimated altitude of 10,000 ft (thie fact 1s doubted bat is not considered necessarily rolevant ). AATHEWS helped the pilot and co-pilot attach their chest packs (all per- sonnel had been wearing the harness) and as he left the plane wes aware that the es=pilot was preparing to follow. The pilot had started to leave and, to the best recollection of MATHEWS, was partially stending and holding the control wheel with his left hand. MATHEW'S etatenents indicate that proper emergency procedures had been performed but that the Flames had en- veloped the sntire left side almost immediately. TAPY stated that, because of the full moon and good visibility, he saw MATHEWS leave the plane and was able to follow the plane to the ground and that he saw no one olae bail out. The ship was enveloped in flames and was beginning to fell apart before hitting the ground where it exploded and burned about one (1) mile from where he, TAFF, landed. le lit in a tree, end not knowing how to release his parachute of the quick-detachable tind, cut himself loose frou the harness with hie peoket knife. Se kicked end struggled and eventually jumped to the ground, receiving @ jolt on impact but was unable to ruess how far he hed fallen. He then followed a cow path for an estimated two (2) miles to a farm house, arriving after MATHEWS, Meanwhile, as MATHERS cleared the plane he turned and saw the plane strike the ground, explode and burme Just before or just at the time of impact he sar an object afire thrown olear of the plane but did not know whether it wea « person or part of the planes MATHEWS aleo lit in ea tree, and efter freeing himself from his harness, fell to the ground where he injured his back. He lest conseiousness and on recovering went to the buruing plane, about fifty