3 fatalities

Heavy Bomber Attacked by Soviet MiG-15, Three Crew Killed (44-27262)

Tom-ni, North KoreaFlight

On January 27, 1953, a Boeing B-29 Superfortress (registration 44-27262) operated by United States Air Force - USAF (since 1947) was involved in an aviation accident near Tom-ni, North Korea in flight. 3 people were killed. Investigators recorded the probable cause as: Shot down by the pilot of a Soviet AF MiG-15 fighter. 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

En route, a heavy bomber was attacked by a Soviet MiG-15 fighter piloted by Major Anatoly Karelin. Ten crew members bailed out before the crash; one was rescued and three were killed.

Incident

En route, a heavy bomber was attacked by a Soviet Air Force MiG-15 fighter aircraft. The MiG-15 was piloted by Major Anatoly Karelin. The attack led to the bomber being shot down.

Crew Actions

Ten crew members of the bomber were able to bail out of the aircraft before it crashed. Of these ten, one crew member was rescued. The other three crew members who did not bail out were killed in the crash.

Fatalities

The three crew members killed in the crash were identified as: Master Sergeant Cleo A. Brown, First Lieutenant Edward R. Francis, and First Lieutenant Ralph I. Phy.

Probable Cause

According to official findings, the probable cause of the accident was that the bomber was shot down by the pilot of a Soviet Air Force MiG-15 fighter.