B-25 Mitchell crash into Empire State Building

[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?