1 fatality

Aircraft Hit by Antiaircraft Fire Over Sunchon, Crew Bails Out (44-86357)

Pyongyang-Sunan, North KoreaFlight

On August 23, 1951, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress (registration 44-86357) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Pyongyang-Sunan, North Korea in flight. One person was killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by enemy fire. This summary draws on records from the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A); 8 related events involving the same aircraft type or operator are linked below.

Sourcesthe Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives (B3A)Primary reportUpdated 2026-06-12Data APIEditorial standards

A military aircraft was struck by antiaircraft fire over Sunchon. The pilot evacuated the combat area, but all crew bailed out west of Pyongyang-Sunan Airport. The aircraft was destroyed; one crew member was killed, ten survived.

Incident Overview

While flying over Sunchon, the aircraft was hit by antiaircraft fire. The pilot was able to evacuate the combat area and flew west of the capital city when the situation on board forced all crew members to bail out and to abandon the aircraft. The aircraft crashed 17 km west of Pyongyang-Sunan Airport. A crew member was killed while 10 others survived. The aircraft was destroyed. The crew members were: 1st Lt George W. Beale, Cpl Glenn W. Brown, Cpl Herbert D. Brown, S/Sgt Burl D. Dean, 1st Lt Edward M. Gibbens, Sgt Jack D. Kennedy, M/Sgt Charles L. Mullins, 1st Lt Jack L. Murray, S/Sgt Jesse C. Ring (deceased), 1st Lt Robert L. Warner, and 1st Lt William J. Wright.

Probable Cause

The official probable cause was that the aircraft was shot down by enemy fire.