What happened
On March 12, 1952, at approximately 13:50 CST, a mid-air collision occurred involving two B-29 bombers operating out of Randolph Air Force Base, Texas. The aircraft involved were identified by their military serial numbers as 44-87774 and 44-62223. The incident took place roughly 19 miles north of the home base.
The impact caused significant structural failure to aircraft 44-62223, specifically resulting in the tail section detaching from the main fuselage. This separation rendered the plane impossible to control. Simultaneously, debris from aircraft 44-87774 was discovered scattered along its flight path following the impact, suggesting that the forward portion of this aircraft may have suffered total incapacitation of the crew.
Both aircraft subsequently crashed. There were no survivors, as all personnel on board both planes were killed in the accident. The total number of fatalities was 15.
Findings
Official investigations into the collision concluded that the precise reason for the mid-air contact could not be determined.