Summary One person was killed in the 1943 Boeing-Stearman crash in Washington. The incident is under investigation by the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board. The Boeing-Stearman is noted as being a successful WWII American trainer A vintage, privately owned 1943 Boeing-Stearman biplane has crashed in Washington's Skamania County, killing one person.
While it is rare for commercial aircraft to crash, small single-engined aircraft and vintage aircraft crash with more regularity. In May, a fatal crash of a vintage British WWII Spitfire marred D-Day commemorations in the United Kingdom. The Boeing-Stearman is one of the most noted American trainers of WWII .
One dead in 1943 Boeing-Stearman crash According to a Facebook post by the Skamania County Sheriff's Office, the aircraft went down east of Sunset Falls Campground in Skamania County. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office's search and rescue teams worked with other organizations, including the Washington State Department of Transportation's Aviation Division, volunteers from the Volcano Rescue Team, a US Coast Guard air asset, and other organizations that responded to the incident. The Skamania County Sheriff's Office wrote , " Upon arrival of the search and rescue volunteers, they were able to make voice contact with a male subject, but could not see the downed aircraft.
The volunteers navigated down an extremely steep ravine, locating the pilot, identified as Christopher M. Paulson, 72, of Eatonville, Washington. Paulson was hoisted from the ravine by the U.
S. Coast Guard helicopter and flown to Portland, Oregon to receive medical treatment ." The health status of Mr.
Paulson is unclear. Additionally, the rescue effort found a second individual, deceased, inside the wreckage. The person has been identified as Jed Paul Kelly, 45.
He succumbed to his injuries from the crash. The Sheriff's Office wrote that an investigation is ongoing and that the office is working with the FAA and National Transportation Safety Board. According to FlightAware , the aircraft (registered N53466) belonged to Mr.
Paulson. Stearman (Boeing) Model 70/75/76 The Boeing-Stearman was the primary trainer flown by the United States and some allied nations during WWII. At least 10,626 were built in the United States in the 1930s and 1940s.
After the war, thousands of surplus aircraft were sold into civilian service and became a popular choice for crop dusting (as well as for air shows). Dozens remain flight-worthy around the world today (including around 10 in New Zealand). The aircraft was introduced in 1934 with the 1,000th trainer delivered to the Army in March 1941.
By July 1944, over 10,000 had been delivered. It was regarded as a rugged conventional biplane and sported a large, fixed tailwheel undercarriage. They are powered by a Continental R-670-5 7-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine and have a max speed of 124 mph.
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