Douglas C-54A 45-543 of the 14th TCS, 61st TCG, USAF, crashed on Stake House Fell near Garstang on the 7th January 1949

Douglas DC-4

 

Richard M. Wurgel 1st Lieutenant Pilot Killed
Lowell A. Wheaton Jr. 1st Lieutenant Co-pilot Killed
Bernard J. Watkins Sergeant Engineer Killed
Norbert H. Theis Corporal Radio Operator Killed
William A. Rathgeber Captain Passenger Killed
Ronald E. Stone Private Passenger Killed

 

The aircraft was being transferred from Rhein-Main Air Force Base near Frankfurt to RAF Burtonwood near Warrington for scheduled maintenance work. It had taken off at 13:12 and was to follow a route via Amsterdam, Horsham St Faith near Norwich and Shawbury in Shropshire with an expected flight time of 2:45. The flight took longer than planned and at not long before 16:30 the crew contacted RAF Shawbury for navigational assistance, which was given. After passing over Shawbury at 16:28 the pilots were instructed to follow a course of 355o for Liverpool and to make radio contact with Speke airport. Attempts to make contact with Speke were however unsuccessful and so contact was made with Burtonwood who liaised with Speke to obtain clearance for the aircraft to descend.

The pilot of 45-543 reported they had descended to 1,700ft and were about 2 minutes south of the airfield. At 16:42 the controller at Burtonwood gave permission for them to make a VFR approach. That was the last communication with the aircraft which at approximately 16:50 flew into the southern side of Stake House Fell in the Forest of Bowland near Garstang at about 1,200ft.

It was found later that the direction finding station at Speke had taken bearings for all of the radio calls made by the aircraft and that the radio call stating they were 2 minutes south of Burtonwood was made from a position between 10 and 15 miles north of there. The apparent reason for this was a BBC radio transmitter further north which was working on a very similar frequency to the radio beacon at Burtonwood was able to cause false reading from the radio compasses fitted to aircraft which would then home on the BBC transmitter instead of the correct beacon.

Following the crash the frequency of the Burtonwood radio beacon was changed to avoid any further conflict.

Crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
This photograph, taken from the USAF Accident Report shows the wrecked aircraft on the upper slopes of Stake House Fell. Little remains on that area of the hill now, with most of the remaining wreckage being on the flat area this was taken from.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
This photograph is taken looking up hill from a similar location. The people in the photograph are exploring the area where the aircraft crashed.
Crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
A second photograph taken from just below where the aircraft crashed, it was taken looking up the steep slope so gives the impression that it is on much more level ground.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
Looking across the slope towards the west from where the aircraft impacted.
Crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
After the crash most of the wreckage was recovered from the site, with the exception of heavier items such as undercarriage parts and engine firewalls. These lie on a flat area part way down the slope from the crash site.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
This is one of the engine firewalls which remained at the site.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
A photograph showing two of the firewalls with a pair of propeller hubs in the background.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
Following our first visit to the crash site with permission was sought by LAIT to recover some of the wreckage from the crash site. This consisted of this propeller hub, a single engine firewall and a few smaller parts. They were recovered from the hill in March 2007.
Wreckage at the crash site of Douglas C-54A 45-543 on Stake House Fell, Garstang, Lancashire
The engine firewall was loaded on to a modified car bonnet which a number of us then dragged down the hill to the track at the bottom to where we had left a pair of Landrovers.