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A Corvair F4U crashed In St. Louis
County, MO University City Limits with
Wellston Sutter Ave., near Plymouth Ave.
Thursday, March 8, 1945 |
This is Bob's version of the event: Jan 2007 Jim and Walt : I had these
pictures for over all the years, I would guess it was while
we were maybe in Jr. High. I was there.1944-45 time
frame maybe. Sutter Ave just South of HS football Field
perhaps.F4U Corsair has always stuck in my head, but I do
not know planes that well. F4U was the Navy Corsair.
Bob Class of '49 Jan 2007 email
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NEWS & years later!
We have the Details
AND newspaper clippings
and more!
See Below!
News
Clippings are from
from Emory Vankirk's research
added 2-7-2014
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Jim Bowle's answer: Jan 2007
Bob: You brought back memories. I was telling an old pilot
of Corsairs last Sunday about the one that crashed in
Wellston. I'm not sure if you were with me or not but I
remember it flying over the school yard in obvious trouble
and seeing it go down and we took off. As I remember we
thought it was trying to make the football field and didn't
quite make it. Jim B Class of '49
Jan 2007 email
Walt
Wilson's answer: Jan 2007
Hi Bob; I remember this
crash. It was about two blocks from Bill M's house. I went
home from school with him that afternoon, but we couldn't
get close to the crash. It hit the front porch of a house on
Sutter, very close to the intersection with Plymouth. You
could see the smoke for miles. He was trying to land on the
ball diamond at Wagner Park, on * Wherley Ave. across the
street from Bill M's folks' house. His mom was home at the
time, too. it was a close call for her because he couldn't
have gotten stopped in the confines of the park, which was
very small, and woulld have probably run into their house if
he made the park. " Oh, By the way, it was a F4-U Corsair!"
Walt W Class of '49 Jan 2007 email
12/21/2013 12:10 PM from Emory VanKirk
Robert, I have the date of the crash. It is Thursday March
8, 1945. The plane was an F4U-1A Serial 56091 piloted by
Roger E McCaughey ( b 12/15/21 d 5/26/2009) from SQD VFR-3
based at MCAS Quanticao Virginia.
The crash was listed as FLEF meaning Forced Landing due to
Engine Failure. It also shows letter "A" for completely
destroyed. They don't show encoding for a fire. The listing
for this crash was 167 Sutter Ave, which must be a typo. The
correct address is 1167 Sutter Avenue.
The serial indicates The F4U was made in 1942 or 1943.
In 1945 era navigation was usually by using the low
frequency 4 course radio ranges. One quadrant range was
centered thru this area leading to or away from Lambert
Field.
I am going to pass on this crash date to historian
at the library in University City. She didn't know anything about it but
offered to check the microfilm newspaper files for us using
our date. I will also check your method of search for the
Globe. One way or another I will get both the Globe and the
Post articles and the actual crash investigation report if
it available.
PS Bob Thanks, for the pictures, mom had a plot in the
Wagner Victory Garden and I recognized it right off the bat.
Also, your circle of the North's lot is around the lot on
the south side of the crash. The left side of your rectangle
goes right thru the crash site. I probable miss lead you
with the wrong address.
[ 2/6/2014
Under Construction ...More to come News articles and Picture
]
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