AIR FORCE USES FILM TO PROBE B-36 CRASH AT KIRTLAND FIELD.

Albuquerque, May 7 (UP) -- Air Force officials disclosed today they have a motion picture of the crash of a B-36 bomber here yesterday. The crash killed 23 airmen and seriously injured two others. Kirtland Air Force base officials said a civilian, A. D. HAZARD of Albuquerque, was filming the landing of the huge aircraft when the crash occurred.
"MR. HAZARD wlaked over and handed the films to officials," a Kirtland spokesman said today. The films were rushed through processing and shown to a group of officers headed by Maj. Gen. C. S. IRVINE. General IRVINE flew here from Fort Worth to lead the investigation into the crash.
No immediate announcement was forthcoming as to the cause of the accident, but it was reported that the fims countered an early report that an engine on the plane was on fire before the crash. The films, according to public information officer Capt. FRED GRINHAM, substantiated that visibility was not seriously affected by blowing dust.
It was the fifth and worst B-36 crash since the Air Force put the six engined bombers -- the world's largest -- into operation in August 1946. The toll of 23 dead is but three less than the combined deaths in the other four.
GRIFFITH said the flaming wreckage "looked like a burning oil field. Flames shot up almost 200 feet in the air."
"I didn't want to look," said Lt. WILLIAM S. KNIPPLE. "I turned my back." KNIPPLE is one of three members of the 188th Fighter Squadron who watched the crash.
The two survivors were in critical condition at Sandia special weapons base hospital. Sandia adjoins Kirtland.
Twenty-two men were killed outright. The 23rd died at Sandia a few minutes later. The bomber, almost as long as a city block, had just finished a three-hour flight from Carswell Air Force base, Fort Worth, Tex.
Winds in excess of 40 miles an hour stirred up a billowing sandstorm and fanned the flames quickly to a parked C-54 Air Force Transport and a small, private cargo plane.
The names of dead announced by Carswell base show the plane carried an emergency crew of nine compared with 16 normally used on combat flights. There were 16 passengers. Carswell said the passengers all were service men who were to attend school at Kirtland base.
The crewmen all were killed.
None of the men aboard was from New Mexico.

The New Mexican Santa Fe New Mexico 1951-05-07
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Researched and Transcribed by Stu Beitler. Thank you, Stu!