The old CAF B-26 ...

[Randy Haskin]

Randy, all I can say is that Mudge the Cunning Linguist would've been proud.

hehe, I consider that quite the honor.

[JohnH]

At Airsho 86 they were still having problems with it- and got in the air for one flight late in the afternoon. It looked so cool- I told myself get a good look this may be the one and only time - it was. Yes I’ve often said that crash took out the most experienced Marauder pilots in the world and anyone can get into trouble no matter how good. Was really devastated by it.

[Mark Sampson]

Well, I knew nothing of any of this before I asked.
I'm saddened to read the reports and hear the stories; it qualifies as a real tragedy.
My improved knowledge of the English language, though, is a good thing, at least for me.
And my thanks to those willing to explain!

[Lon Moer]

I found this on the interweb. I hope Randy is okay with me posting this.

10/2/95
The following is the official news release on the loss of
the CAF's Martin B-26 "Carolyn" on 28 Sep 95.

**********

Barbi Woods, Public Relations Coordinator, CAF

For Immediate Release
NR# 95-0928

At 10:56 a.m., Sept. 28, 1995, the Confederate Air Force's
B-26 Marauder (N5546N) "Carolyn" crashed approximately 18
miles south of Midland International Airport. Five crew
members perished in the accident. The crew members were:
Walter A. Wootton, Harlingen, Texas; John Thomas Cloyd,
El Paso, Texas; Vernon E. Thorp, Ocala, Fla; Colin Dunwell,
Surrey, England, UK; and Chris Gardner, Essex, England, UK.
Two of the CAF's most experienced pilots, Thorp and Wootton,
were flying the airplane. The National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) is investigating the cause of the
accident.

The B-26 Marauder is a twin-engine World War II aircraft.
Prior to the accident, the CAF's B-26 was the only flying
Marauder in the world. Manufactured by the Glenn L. Martin
Company, Omaha, Nebraska, the B-26 was delivered to the USAAF
on May 24, 1943. It served at various stations throughout
the United States until April, 1945 at which time it was
transferred to the Defense Plant Corporation, Bush Field,
Georgia, and was dropped from USAAF inventory.

During its civilian life the B-26 "Carolyn" performed varied
missions. It was used as a racer and flew under the name
"Valley Turtle." It was then converted into an executive ship
by the Tennessee Gas Corporation. The CAF bought the aircraft
in 1968 from a bank in Greeley, Colo. Restoration began in
1976 and the aircraft did not fly again until Sept. 11,
1984. Following AIRSHO 95 the plane was to be moved to its
new homebase on the East Coast.

AIRSHO 95, planned to take place Sept. 29 through Oct. 1 at
Midland International, will proceed as scheduled. The
AIRSHO, which is the homecoming show for CAF members, will
be dedicated to the crew members aboard the B-26.

********** End of News Release **********

I am posting this on Monday, after the air show is over.
The air show was dedicated to the five who lost their lives
on the B-26, and appropriate "Missing Man" and other
tributes were performed. Services were held for Tom Cloyd
in Midland this morning.

As a warbird pilot and historian, who had the chance to be
around "Carolyn" quite a bit, and who knew and visited with
all five of the crew in the days before the accident, I
suggest that we all wait for the results of the NTSB
investigation before we try to "guess", even intelligently,
what really happened. Thank you.

Randy Wilson
Colonel, CAF
Aviation Historian & Pilot

P.S. I was authorized by Barbi Woods to post this release,
however the comments are my own, and I do not speak for the
CAF in this matter.

[Randy Wilson]

Lon - no problems.

Randy

[ZRX61]

Should never have allowed passengers on that flight. Knew both of them.

[Randy Haskin]

Should never have allowed passengers on that flight. Knew both of them.

How would it have been any different on any other flight?

[CAPFlyer]

If he had intended to practice stalls and steep turns (as was reported in the accident finding) then he shouldn't have had passengers. Most insurance companies and operating instructions specifically prohibit the carriage of non-essential crew on flights where stalls are being performed. I'm pretty sure the CAF's current regulations are the same.

[CH2Tdriver]

From reading the NTSB report, I'm guessing that the cause of the power interruption to both engines was never determined?

Did this happen out over a practice area or at the airport? (I ask because the report states stall/spin but TBM Tony mentions seeing it slide down the runway)

Thanks.

IIRC '95-'96 was a bad period of time for war birds. In addition to the loss of Carolyn, we lost the only airworthy Heinkel, Mossie, and there was the P-38 Lightning crash at Duxford as well. There were others I'm not recalling at the moment. It just seemed that every time I got a copy of a warbird mag during that time, it featured a warbird loss.

[Randy Haskin]

If he had intended to practice stalls and steep turns (as was reported in the accident finding) then he shouldn't have had passengers. Most insurance companies and operating instructions specifically prohibit the carriage of non-essential crew on flights where stalls are being performed. I'm pretty sure the CAF's current regulations are the same.

All that notwithstanding, as I asked, how would it have been on any other flight?

As the performance of the stalls and steep turns, and the presence of passengers, had nothing whatsoever to do with the accident that occurred, I'm still confused by the statement.

[Randy Wilson]

From reading the NTSB report, I'm guessing that the cause of the power interruption to both engines was never determined?

Did this happen out over a practice area or at the airport? (I ask because the report states stall/spin but TBM Tony mentions seeing it slide down the runway)

Thanks.

IIRC '95-'96 was a bad period of time for war birds. In addition to the loss of Carolyn, we lost the only airworthy Heinkel, Mossie, and there was the P-38 Lightning crash at Duxford as well. There were others I'm not recalling at the moment. It just seemed that every time I got a copy of a warbird mag during that time, it featured a warbird loss.

They are talking about two different incidents and accidents involving the B-26. One where the nosewheel collapsed on landing in 1985 and the other where the plane crashed on a checkride to requalify one pilot and qualify another in 1995. The checkride would have required engine out procedures and other slow speed flight conditions. If you reread the entire thread hopefully that will make it clearer. Just one point to add if you are not familiar with the Odessa/Midland area of West Texas, the ground here is about 2900 feet above sea level. The altitudes that the plane was reported to be doing these maneuvers is MSL not AGL. These are my personal comments and I don't speak for anyone else, including the CAF. Hope that helps but that's about my last comment on the accident.

Randy

[Tony C]

I note from the Registry that as of 2004, 40-1459 was being restored to airworthy status, is this still the case and if so, is it near completion?

[hurricane_yank]

IIRC '95-'96 was a bad period of time for war birds. In addition to the loss of Carolyn, we lost the only airworthy Heinkel, Mossie, and there was the P-38 Lightning crash at Duxford as well. There were others I'm not recalling at the moment. It just seemed that every time I got a copy of a warbird mag during that time, it featured a warbird loss.

The Heinkel crashed in 2003...I remember it well as I was just getting ready to head off to college and that was devastating news.

[Mark Allen M]

Always a pain in the *ss (generally) when people don't bother to read a thread from the beginning before posting. Causes pissing matches here all the time.
The loss of the CAF's B-26 was sad, the loss of the folks involved was tragic.

[ZRX61]

If he had intended to practice stalls and steep turns (as was reported in the accident finding) then he shouldn't have had passengers. Most insurance companies and operating instructions specifically prohibit the carriage of non-essential crew on flights where stalls are being performed. I'm pretty sure the CAF's current regulations are the same.

All that notwithstanding, as I asked, how would it have been on any other flight?

As the performance of the stalls and steep turns, and the presence of passengers, had nothing whatsoever to do with the accident that occurred, I'm still confused by the statement.

I didn't say the passengers had anything to do with the crash. I said they shouldn't have been on the flight. It was check ride for both pilots & neither of them had much time in the B26 in the previous year (not withstanding the hours they had in anything else). Go get current, then offer flights.