Incident Overview
Description
Douglas C-54D, 42-72648, was damaged by Korean ground-loading crews on 24 June 1950 when a forklift damaged the elevator. Temporary repairs were made with bed sheets and dope and left to dry overnight. The next morning North Korean Yak-9s strafed the field and severely damaged the aircraft. The flight crew collapsed the nose gear and opened the fuel petcocks and set the aircraft on fire. There are conflicting reports on the identities of USAF two C-54’s lost in South Korea: 42-72648 and 45-518. On June 25, 1950 a C-54 burnt out at Seoul and on June 30, 1950 a C-54 impacted a mountain near Busan. A photo published in newspapers shows the burnt out remains of 42-72648 at an airport in South Korea. Hence it seems likely that 45-518 was the aircraft that crashed near Busan.
Source of Information
https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1950-07-01/ed-1/seq-3/https://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045462/1950-07-01/ed-1/seq-3/Primary Cause
Forklift incident and subsequent strafing attacks by North Korean Yak-9s.Forklift incident and subsequent strafing attacks by North Korean Yak-9s.Share on:
