Narrative:Caught fire & crashed in a field close to Heroldishausen. Two crew members and the two passengers bailed out. 1st/Lt. Royce C. Stephens (pilot) killed. The C-54 was part of Berlin Airlift. The accident was caused by an engine oil leak that resulted in a fire
Sources:
»
USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Aircraft Serial Numbers--1908 to Present / Joe Baugher» Huschke, Wolfgang J. /Die Rosinenbomber, Die Berliner Luftbrücke 1948/49
» The Unheralded: Men and Women of the Berlin Blockade and Airlift/Edwin Gere
» 50 Jahre Stiftung Luftbrücke
Photos
Map
This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does
not display the exact flight path.
Distance from Wiesbaden-Erbenheim (Y-80) Air Base to Berlin-Tempelhof Airport as the crow flies is 441 km (276 miles).
Accident location: Global; accuracy within tens or hundreds of kilometers.
This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Network’s opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.