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ONT @ (€2a AAF BU) MeChord Field, Tacoma, “agshington 4 August 1947 Final ‘Mission Report Commanding Officer Air Reseue Service WaeDill Field, Florida MISSION NUMBER Thirty-Nine. RATU. Q- At O400 PST, 1 August 47, ARMY FLIGHT SERVICR notified thie éetachment that a plene had been seen to crash and burn thirteen (13) miles south of KELSO, Washington (46°S'N, 122965"). Se 1 Aug 47- At 04:50 PST, APS received information from Mrs Ce Clark, local sheriff of KELSO, Wash., that the se ef the crash wos fifteen (16) to twenty (20) miles east of KELSO in the vicinity ef 0OBLE BK. ‘The KELSO Chief of Police saw an aireraft fly low over the tom, erash and burn to the east. ‘The time was about 0236 F A neck of raft lmown to be in the vicinity revesled that 5-25 (1516 had arted RD PIELD at 0212 PST for HAMILTON FIELD, California. ne wonther was reported as CPR, A full moon made visibility exceptionally good. The pilot's name CAPT. Wi. C. DAVIDSON; the plane carried three ($) additiconsl persona. ‘The Base Operations Officer and Base PIO were notified. Thie detachment began organising a 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 ground fog in the valleys at the seene of the crash was preventing a ground party frem locating the plane. Since no communication had been received from 8-25 #1316, it was jumed thet it was the plane reported as crashed. ARS C-47 was pre-flichted to treneport the Arny ground party to KELSO but a check of the field conditions there deemed it advisable to use a smaller aireraft. Of the two Ce45s available, one belonging to APS was unserviced after a night flights the other, belong- ing to AACS, wae readied even though a responsible officer of that organ- ization was not present to euthorige the flight. Fog at K&LSO prevented take-off until 0700 PST. The ground party, led by CAPT. W. L. LITIRELL and CAPT.» Te He PORSBERG, consisted of six men including a medical technician a photographer. At OG00 PST, the KPLSO Chief of Police notified AS that a passenger of the orashed airplane was in his office and had confirmed CONFIDENTIAL”