P-38 -- DC-4 Mid-Air Collision 1949

[Stephen Harding]

On this date in history, an Eastern Airlines DC-4 passenger plane collided with a
P-38 Lightning fighter being flown for acceptance tests by a pilot of the Bolivian
Air Force for the Bolivian government. At the time, it was the worst airline
disaster in US history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_537

It surprised me a bit to hear of P-38s during the post WWII period. I thought they
pretty much disappeared at the end of the war.

I only saw records of a single Bolivian P-38 from 1949 and assume it had been bought
by the Bolivian government for some special, singular purpose, and not as equipment
for their air force. Wonder what the purpose of the purchase was?

Seems most second-hand US WWII aircraft purchases by foreign governments after WWII
favored the P-51, so was surprised to hear of a P-38 purchase.


SMH

[Jim Wilkins]

"Stephen Harding" <har...@cs.umass.edu> wrote in message
news:nvacab$mp3$1...@dont-email.me...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_LeVier
"After the end of World War II, LeVier bought a war surplus P-38
Lightning for $1,250 in Kingman, Arizona. He modified it for air
racing and painted it bright red."

[john Szalay]

Stephen Harding <har...@cs.umass.edu> wrote in

news:nvacab$mp3$1...@dont-email.me:

CAB testimony at the hearings on 12 Nov showed that the P-38 involved in
the fatal disaster on Nov 1 had at one time particapted in the National
air races at Cleveland Ohio and that its registration number NX-26927 ,
indicated that had an "experimental" designation

also


LIFE magazine Nov 14 issue Page 44-45

https://books.google.com/books?id=
90wEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0
#v=onepage&q&f

[john Szalay]

"Jim Wilkins" <murat...@gmail.com> wrote in news:nvaf0f$17d$1@dont-
email.me:

the P-38 involved in the DC crash
1946 air race pilot and aircraft P-38 NX-26927

Hasson Calloway 48 Lockheed P-38L NX-26927

#48 P-38L NX-26927

==========================

c/n 7931 P-38L 44-26927 NX26927 Howard L. Pemberton, MI .46/47 (ex War
Assets Administration, Walnut Ridge AR, race #48, flown Cleveland races
46 by Hasson Galloway) (to FA Boliviana as FAB....) .49 crashed before
del., midair collision with Eastern Airlines DC-4, Washington DC (FAB
pilot) 1.11.49

[Stephen Harding]

On 11/01/2016 12:26 PM, john Szalay wrote:
> Stephen Harding <har...@cs.umass.edu> wrote in
> news:nvacab$mp3$1...@dont-email.me:
>
>> On this date in history, an Eastern Airlines DC-4 passenger plane
>> collided with a P-38 Lightning fighter being flown for acceptance
>> tests by a pilot of the Bolivian Air Force for the Bolivian
>> government. At the time, it was the worst airline disaster in US
>> history.
>>
>> https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eastern_Air_Lines_Flight_537
>>
>> It surprised me a bit to hear of P-38s during the post WWII period. I
>> thought they pretty much disappeared at the end of the war.
>>
>> I only saw records of a single Bolivian P-38 from 1949 and assume it
>> had been bought by the Bolivian government for some special, singular
>> purpose, and not as equipment for their air force. Wonder what the
>> purpose of the purchase was?
>>
>> Seems most second-hand US WWII aircraft purchases by foreign
>> governments after WWII favored the P-51, so was surprised to hear of a
>> P-38 purchase.
>>
>>
>> SMH
>>
>>
>
> CAB testimony at the hearings on 12 Nov showed that the P-38 involved in
> the fatal disaster on Nov 1 had at one time particapted in the National
> air races at Cleveland Ohio and that its registration number NX-26927 ,
> indicated that had an "experimental" designation

There was some sort of engine problem that forced the P-38 pilot to land.

With such failings from a very experience pilot and ground controllers, as
well as passengers rushing to make the flight, or transferring to it from
another flight, it seems confirmation that when your time is up, its up!

> also
>
>
> LIFE magazine Nov 14 issue Page 44-45
>
> https://books.google.com/books?id=
> 90wEAAAAMBAJ&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0
> #v=onepage&q&f

Wow, what a great cover!!!


SMH

[Stephen Harding]

I know a few P-38s were on the post-WWII Reno air racing circuit, but
it seems they were rapidly eclipsed by P-51s, F8Fs and Sea Furies.

Still seems strange the Bolivian government would opt for one, unless
it was really for the checkout pilot himself. Maybe he had government
connections.

Or perhaps the wording of the article is confused and the Bolivian
government really wasn't a party to the purchase.

If you recall Art Kramer, the B-26 navigator that used to post here
regularly, crews could have bought their B-26s after VE Day for I believe
$2500!

[Of course that's about $33,000 in today's money, and didn't cover the
cost of demilling the aircraft and getting it back to the US.]


SMH

[john Szalay]

Stephen Harding <har...@cs.umass.edu> wrote in news:nvanss$3nd$1@dont-
email.me:

>
> Still seems strange the Bolivian government would opt for one, unless
> it was really for the checkout pilot himself. Maybe he had government
> connections.
>
> Or perhaps the wording of the article is confused and the Bolivian
> government really wasn't a party to the purchase.
>
>

> SMH
>
>

P-38 pilot was Erick Rios Bridouz Director of Civil Aeronautics in
Bolivia

[Stephen Harding]

I was just wondering if he had bought the P-38 for himself or for some Bolivian
government reason.

Perhaps I've misinterpreted the article or Wikipedia didn't write it correctly.

<quote from Wikipedia article>
...a P-38 fighter piloted by Bolivia's top airman, Erick Rios Bridoux.
Bridoux was testing the twin-engine craft which his government had purchased
from the United States.
</quote>

What would the Bolivian government (or the Civil Aeronautics agency) be doing
with a single P-38 in 1949? Bolivia does not appear to have ever operated the
P-38.


SMH

[David E. Powell]

Several Latin American Air Forces bought used WW2 Piston Aircraft in the 1940s and 1950s. Some of them flew piston fighters into the 1970s. Bolivia looking at P-38s would fit that mold, surely they must have figured the planes were available and plenty of spare parts were out there in the late 1940s. It would be pretty fun to find out.

From a different angle, could it have been a joint thing with the CIA?

The CIA apparently used a P-38 in Latin America a few years later.

https://warisboring.com/the-cias-air-war-during-a-1954-guatemalan-coup-was-nearly-a-fiasco-eb018f38695#.91953wgxy

<https://warisboring.com/the-cias-air-war-during-a-1954-guatemalan-coup-was-nearly-a-fiasco-eb018f38695#.91953wgxy>

> SMH

[john Szalay]

Stephen Harding <har...@cs.umass.edu> wrote in

news:nvaunl$u16$1...@dont-email.me:

who knows.
they may have wanted to convert it into an F-5 for photo use.
the F-5 model was a good stable photo recon verson of the P-38
and many were picked up by US survey companies..

[Peter Stickney]

wrote:

Interesting that that was a sale of a privately owned civil registered
airplane, and not a government to government transaction.

--
Pete Stickney
Always remember to close all parentheses.
We're not paying to air-condition the entire paragraph.

[Peter Stickney]

Per Jahn Szalay's notes on the history of the airplane, it was _not_
purchased from the United States, but from its civilian owner.

[john Szalay]

Peter Stickney <p_sti...@verizon.net> wrote in

> Per Jahn Szalay's notes on the history of the airplane, it was _not_
> purchased from the United States, but from its civilian owner.
>
>

Photo of the plane here #48

http://www.airrace.com/1946NAR.html

[smharding]

Hmmm. The plot thickens!


SMH

[smharding]

Wow! Seeing all those iconic WWII aircraft in other than olive drab or duraluminum
must have been quite amazing!

Also thinking that those aircraft at the time were bought for a couple thousand
dollars
and every one of them now would go for at least a million!

I really need to get my "Way Back" machine running again!


SMH

[Daryl]

You are more on track than you know. AAF was pushing tired P-51s hard
right after the war. In the Philippines, they had a bunch of brand new
P-38Ls that they wanted to purchase. No transportation required.
Instead, AAF insisted that they purchase older P-51s that were road hard
and put away wet. They ended up with the P-51B/Cs that were tired and
didn't have the range they wanted or the safety of two engines. \

I have never understood the outright hatred AAF showed towards the P-38.
By the time the J-25 showed up, it could hang with any fighter short
of the ME262 or P-80. And the L was further refined. For the Pacific,
there was never a better suited fighter than the P-38L.