Atlantic Ocean – July 11, 1965
Approx. 100 miles northeast of Nantucket, Massachusetts
EC-121 Super Constellation
U.S. Air Force Photo
On the night of July 11, 1965, an Air Force EC-121H Super Constellation radar aircraft with a crew of 19 aboard, was flying over the Atlantic when a fire in one engine forced the pilot to ditch in the water.
The last radio transmission received from the pilot was , “Altitude 200 feet, I am ditching.”
The Constellation broke up when it hit the water.
The aircraft carrier U.S.S. Wasp and several other ships were in the area on naval exercises, and immediately launched a search and rescue operation. Of the 19 men aboard, only three were rescued. Nine bodies were recovered. The other seven were listed as “missing, presumed dead”.
Those rescued were :
1st Lt. Bruce E. Witcher, navigator, of Redding, CA.
Airman 1c John N. Puopolo, of Roslindale, Mass.
Airman 2c David A. Surles, of Raleigh, N.C.
The dead and missing were identified as:
Capt. Murray J. Brody, pilot, of New York City. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/47581457/murray-joseph-brody
2nd Lt. Fred Ambrosio, pilot, of Otis AFB.
1st Lt. Thomas Fiedler, pilot, of Davenport, Iowa. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/180145092/thomas-john-fiedler
2nd Lt. Ira J. Husik, navigator, of Philadelphia. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24081498/ira-jay-husik
Capt. Edward N. Anaka of Akron, N.Y. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/215621805/edward-nicolas-anaka
Capt. Michael R. Barbolla, of the Bronx, N.Y. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/24014841/michael-richard-barbolla
T. Sgt. Gilbert T. Armstrong, flight engineer, of Newport, VT. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23940483/gilbert-l-armstrong
T. Sgt. Eugene J. Schreivogel, of Springfield, Colorado. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/23936020/eugene-j-schreivogel
S. Sgt. Raymond M. Washam, of Wilmington, Del. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/95227906/raymond-michael-washam
S. Sgt. Francis J. Griffin, of Toronto, Canada.
S. Sgt. John L. Howard, of Sanford, PA.
Airman 1c George R. West, of Wyoming, Mich. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/104573894/george-raymond-west
Airman 1c Charles K. Sawyer, of Anderson, S.C. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/116457890/charles-keith-sawyer
Airman 2c William E. Howe Jr., of North Augusta, S.C. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/17478270/william-ernest-howe
Airman 2c Charles H. Williams, of Worcester, Mass. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/256181142/charles-h-williams
Airman 3c Charles J. Podjaski, of Evergreen Park, Ill. https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/256181165/charles-j-podjaski
The aircraft was assigned to Otis Air Force Base in Falmouth, Massachusetts.
There is much more information available relating to this accident. To find out more, go to http://www.heinzalbers.org/aircrash.htm to read numerous articles from the Cape Cod Standard Times about this incident.
Sources:
New York Times, “9 Airmen Perish In Plane Ditching”, July 13, 1965
New York Times, “Crash Survivors Describe Ordeal”, July 14, 1965
Chicago Tribune, “Buddies Tell How Airmen Died In Crash”, July 14, 1965, Pg. 2
New York Times, “Coast Guard Halts Search For Airmen In Plane Crash”, July 18, 1965
