USAAF
5th AF
3rd BG
13th BS
Jack Heyn 1942
Dean Cropp 2006
Pilot 1st Lt. William C. Hellriegel
Passenger Charley Valade
Passenger Lt. Schwartz
Passenger Sgt McMann
Crashed December 20, 1942
Mission
History
Took off from Cooktown Airfield enroute to Port Moresby at 1710 hours. Hellriegel had to feather the left engine when oil pressure failed and he turned back towards Cooktown. The aircraft lost altitude rapidly and made a hard ditching approximately 25 miles north and slightly east of Cooktown. The plane sank in about 3 minutes.
Of the 12 on board, 7 were injured. They all made it to the beach at a point half way between the mouth of Morgan River and Cape Flattery. 10 stayed behind, two uninjured: Lt. Schwartz and Sgt McMann started out early on December 21, 1942 walking towards Cooktown. They walked and swam for two days and reached Cooktown after dark on December 23rd. Early the next morning a rescue boat picked up the rest of the crew on a beach after a four hour trip.
Wreckage
The plane is lying upside down and two-thirds covered in mud.
B-25
Eight Ball
15m
Dean Cropp Dive
