B-25 Mitchell crash into Empire State Building

[Yves Marino]

On July 28, 1945, an Army Air Corps B-25 bomber crashed into the 79th floor of the EmpireState Building. Fourteen people died and $1 million damage was done to the building. I couldn't find the serial No. and the exact type (H,J) of the pane. Was this really a bomber or a transport version of the "Mitchell"?

[Stephane Muret]

Hello,

I don't have many informations about this crash but lonely pilot of the plane was Lt Col. William F. Smith from 457th BG (deputy Group commander, combat veteran with 40 missions).
2 servicemen were killed in the crash.
I suppose the 457th BG website could give you more informations.

Hope this could help.

Stéphane Muret

[Yves Marino]

Originally Posted by Stephane Muret

Hello,

I don't have many informations about this crash but lonely pilot of the plane was Lt Col. William F. Smith from 457th BG (deputy Group commander, combat veteran with 40 missions).
2 servicemen were killed in the crash.
I suppose the 457th BG website could give you more informations.

Hope this could help.

Stéphane Muret

Merci Stephane!
I have tons of information about the crash, but not the details I need. By the way, this is what I have about the crew:

"On that Saturday, William Smith, a decorated war hero and veteran of over 50 missions, was preparing to fly a B-25 bomber from Bedford, Massachussets to Newark airport in New Jersey to pick up his commanding officer. With him was his co-pilot Christopher Domitrovich, and Navy Machinist’s Mate Albert Perna who was headed home on emergency leave. Smith had never flown a B-25 before, but he had spent years flying the larger, heavier B-17 bombers."

457 is a heavy BG, flying B-17 and stationed in Sioux Falls AAFld, SD in the period 20 Jul-18 Aug 1945 and the flight after picking the commander had to be continued to South Dakota.
From the site www.457thbombgroup.org I just could find that William F. Smith died in present time but there is another William L. Smith in the rooster, who could be the crash pilot. So I haven't had more time to check everything.





P.S. Soon after I wrote the above a friend sent me this link - some details to find : http://www.gloriapall.com/empireb25.pdf

[Alex Smart]

Hi,
From Wikipedia

At 9:49 a.m. on Saturday July 28, 1945, a B-25 Mitchell bomber accidentally crashed into the north side between the 79th and 80th floors, where the offices of the National Catholic Welfare Council were located. The fire was extinguished in 40 minutes. 14 people were killed in the accident[3].
Following the accident, elevator operator Betty Lou Oliver survived a plunge of 75 stories inside an elevator, and currently holds the Guinness World Record for the longest survived elevator fall recorded[4].

Take a look also in on the Empire State building's official Website, there are some answers by family members on the websites forum.

Also see in

http://history1900s.about.com/od/194...mpirecrash.htm



JB's serial numbers has the plane. B25D-20 41-30577

Somewhere I have seen a photo of the 'plane stuck in the building.

Alex

[Yves Marino]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hi,


JB's serial numbers has the plane. B25D-20 41-30577

Alex

Thanks Alex! So it's a D turned into a VIP-transporter!
The name of the plane was "Old John Feather Merchant", Army 0577, based at Sioux Falls Army Air Base.

[Alex Smart]

Hi,

From the AAIR accident datafile it is reported to have been in two previous accidents.
The second one she is noted as an AT24.
So if she had been converted from the B25D to an AT24 then what would these changes have been and what would she have looked like ?
(AT24's became later TB25's).

Any photos of other D's converted to AT24 ? also any hope of seeing the photo of her stuck in the ESB ?

Alex

[Yves Marino]

Originally Posted by Alex Smart

Hi,

From the AAIR accident datafile it is reported to have been in two previous accidents.
The second one she is noted as an AT24.
So if she had been converted from the B25D to an AT24 then what would these changes have been and what would she have looked like ?
(AT24's became later TB25's).

Any photos of other D's converted to AT24 ? also any hope of seeing the photo of her stuck in the ESB ?

Alex

During 1943 and 1944, 60 B-25s were stripped of their operational equipment and modified to serve as advanced trainers. The wide availability, good handling characteristics, and flexibility of the Mitchell made it an excellent training platform that gave trainee aircrews the feel of operating a "real" combat aircraft. To confuse matters, B-25Ds became "AT-24As", B-25Gs became "AT-24Bs", B-25Cs became "AT-24Cs", and B-25Js became "AT-24Ds". In 1948, such Mitchell trainers as survived were given the more rational designations of "TB-25C", "TB-25D", "TB-25G", and "TB-25J", correctly reflecting their original bomber designations.
And here about the crashed a/c:

I have this popular photo by Ernie Sisto/New York Times made from the 90-th floor of the ESB.

And this:

And the pilot:


There was an AT-24D (former B-25J), later TB-25J on display in the Reese Air Force Base, Texas - s. more here: http://www.lubbockonline.com/news/061997/reeseafb.htm


Here some very similar a/c (former B-25J):


Alex, can you write me more about the previous 2 accidents of the plane?

[Yves Marino]

IN MEMORIAM:
The crash happened on this day (July 28 ) 61 years ago. Let us remember all the victims.

[BlackWolf3945]

If anyone would like an MP3 of the MBS news broadcast reporting this incident, send me a PM with your email address...


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