B-29 Crash June 13, 1944
B-29 Crash
Pratt Air Base Crash
Transcribed by Milt Martin, 06/26/2007, from “Report On Air Force Plane Crashes World War II Pratt, Kansas Area, May 2002, by Rodney B. Dyerly Major USAFR (Ret.)” available at Pratt County Historical Museum.
The other event involved a B-29 Bomber (4 engine), of the 497th Bomb Group, on the evening of June 13, 1944 at the Pratt Air Base. Since the aircraft was scheduled for a training flight, the crew included five (5) Pilots. William Kadi of Hayward, California, who was then stationed at the Air Base, recalls that as the Airmen were ready to climb into the B-29, one of the pilots noticed that there were thirteen (13) crew members. Since he was superstitious, he decided that one member, the radio man, would have to stay behind.
After completing several takeoffs and landings, another takeoff was attempted by starting from the North end of the North/South runway. As the aircraft was approaching flight speed, the B-29 began performing in an erratic manner. It then veered off to the left, leaving the runway and crossing over a grass medium strip, before entering the parking ramp area.
It then ran completely over a parked B-26 Bomber, caught fire, and continued across the ramp, striking a parked B-17 Bomber broadside. At this point it then skidded across the ramp until it ended up next to the west wall of the Base's South Hangar (#1). All three (3) aircrafts were destroyed by fire. (See attached photo). In addition, another nearby parked B-17 and two (2) B-26 Bombers were also damaged. Although the wreckage burned for several hours, this Hangar and its adjacent structures were ultimately saved by the joint efforts of the Base Fire Department and the Pratt Volunteer Fire Department.
The co-pilot, Bernard J. Gaffney, and Lt. Herman E. Grubb were killed, while some of the surviving ten (10) crew members were badly burned. Lt. Grubb lived at 719 S. Main Street in Pratt; his home was in Pomeroy, Pennsylvania. Major Gaffney's home was in Watertown, New York.
To learn about more accidents concerning the Pratt Army Air Field, visit the Pratt County Historical Museum or The Pratt Public Library and read the published material by Rodney B. Dyerly.