Having taken off from runway 23 at Westover AFB on 27th June
1958 on an attempted record-breaking transatlantic flight to
London, England, the 4-engine jet tanker along with 15 crew
and passengers, the latter of which were pressmen covering
the event, the flight should have been a joyous occasion, it
was however to turn into a catatrophic accident in which all
on board lost their lives.
Fully laden with high octane fuel, the giant aircraft left the
runway for the last time around 12.30pm, just about 1 mile
from the end of the runway the aircraft suddenly stalled,hit
a number of power cables, and in a left banking turn struck
a ploughed field belonging to Mr Kazimerz Machowski of
Fuller Road,Chicopee Falls, close to the Mass Turnpike and
burst into flames.
Local residents rushed to the scene but were held back by
the flames and intense heat, soon Fire, Police and Ambulance
crews arrived to take over.
The aircraft was a KC-135A from the 4050th Air Refueling
Wing at Westover, and was in fact the 2nd of the type to
have crashed since arriving at the base in 1955.
Those known to have died in the crash are as follows:
CREW:
Aircaft/Cmdr: LT/COL: GEORGE BROUTAS.
Co-Pilot Pilot: 1/LT JOSEPH SWEET.
Cmdr 57th Air Div. Brig/Gen DONALD W.SAUNDERS.
Navigator: Capt JAMES E.SHIPMAN.
3rd Pilot: Capt JOHN B.GORDON.
Boom Op: M/Sgt DONALD M.GABBORD.
Eng: T/Sgt JOHN G.HUTTER.
PASSENGERS:
DANIEL J.COUGHLIN. - Associated Press.
NORMAN MONTELLIERE - United Press International.
ROBERT GINSBURG - US News & World Report.
GLENN WILLIAMS - US News & World Report.
JAMES McCONOUGHY - Time Magazine.
ROBERT SIBLEY - Boston Herald.
WILLIAM COCHRAN - National Aeronautics Assn.
WILLIAM ENYART - National Aeronautics Assn.
KC-135 56-3599 - Massachusetts.
