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| USAAF 5th AF 421nd NFS  USAAF 1944 |
Pilot 2nd Lt. Alexander A. Kuzmack, O-677783 (KIA, BR) Mayfield, PA Crashed April 8, 1944 MACR none Aircraft History Built by Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (LAC) in Burbank. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as P-38F Lightning serial number unknown. Disassembled and shipped overseas and reassembled. Wartime History Assigned to the 5th Air Force (5th AF). By March 31, 1944, assigned to the the 421st Night Fighter Squadron (421st NFS) as one of five P-38F Lightnings at Nadzab Airfield for local familiarization flights and training purposes. At least four were older P-38F Lightnings that required considerable work to keep them flying and operated from nearby Finschafen Airfield. No known nickname or nose art. Mission History On April 8, 1944 took off from Nadzab Airfield piloted by 2nd Lt. Alexander A. Kuzmack on a training flight. During the flight, the right engine failed and returning to land on a single engine. While on finals to land with his flaps and landing gear extended when a B-24 taxied onto the runway, Kuzmack attempted to abort his landing but was too low and slow. His plane flipped and crashed vertically from roughly 300' and crashed into the jungle and hit a tree and was killed on impact. His loss was the first casualty of the 421st Night Fighter Squadron (421st NFS). Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the pilot were recovered. Memorials Kuzmack was officially declared dead the day of the mission. As the flight was deemed non-combat, he did not earn the Purple Heart, posthumously. He is buried at Manila American Cemetery at plot D, row 9, grave 163. References April 1944 USAAF Overseas Accident Reports does not list Kuzmack AAIR Air Crew Name Lists - Accident Report, Alexander A. Kuzmack American Battle Monuments Commission (AMBC) - Alexander A. Kuzmack FindAGrave - 2Lt Alexander A Kuzmack (grave) The Times-Tribune "Mayfield Pilot is Killed In Crash" April 20, 1944 page 3 "Lieutenant Kuzmack meets death in New Guinea - A Mayfield army pilot made the supreme sacrifice in New Guinea on April 8, a Scranton soldier is missing in action." The Times-Tribune "Kuzmack Loses Life in Crash" April 21, 1944 page 3 "One regional man has been killed in action... Dead is Lt. Alexander A. Kuzmack, 27, son of Mr. and Mrs. Andrew Kuzmack, rear 622 Poplar St. Mayfield, who was killed in a plane crash in New Guinea." Democrat and Chronicle "Former Bath Resident Killed in Action" April 28, 1944 page 32 "Lt. Al A. Kuzmack, 28 [sic 27], formally of Bath and Mayfield, Pa., was killed in action in New Guinea on Apr. 8, according to advice received by Bath friends yesterday." Lieutenant Kuzmack lived in Bath several years during the construction of the new U.S. Veterans Facility Hospital and is well know in Bath and Hornell. Assigned to the 5th Air Force, Lieutenant Kuzmack went overseas in December 1943, and is survived by two brothers and a sister in Mayfield, PA. Lieutenant Kuzmack entered the service in the fall of 1942." The 421st Night Fighter Squadron in World War II (2001) pages 24-25 (February 21, 1944 ferry flight), 33 (photo), 35 (April 8, 1944 loss), 156 (photo), 179 (Appendix A, Kuzmack), 200 (Appendix E Chronology April 8, 1944) "During the morning of April 8th , the 421st NFS suffered their first casualty of the war. Lt. Alexander Kuzmack was killed during a P-38 landing accident at Nadzab. Lt. Carl Bjorum was one of the witnesses: Lt. Alexander Kuzmack was out in one of the squadron's P-38s getting in some flight time when he lost his right engine. He lined up the strip, and he was coming in on final approach to make a single-engine landing. During final approach he had his landing gear and flaps down. Just about then a B-24 bomber taxied out in front of him, and he elected to go around for a second try. His airspeed got too low, and he went out about 100 yards beyond the runway. He then gave his good engine full power, and without sufficient airspeed the P-38 would flip on you. Kuzmack's aircraft flipped, and he lost all directional control. He may have been better off reducing power and making a belly landing, but he should not have tried making another pass. His aircraft actually went vertical at about 300 feet, and he crashed his plane straight down into the jungle. In the trees where he hit, he actually only cut down one tree-none of the others were touched. The loss effected the whole squadron, but they had to pull together and do the job they were trained for." Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated
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