What happened
On March 21, 1951, a C-124 departed Walker Air Force Base, Louisiana, transporting equipment and personnel from the 509th Bomber Group. The aircraft, registration 49-0244, made an intermediate stop at Barksdale Air Force Base before continuing its journey toward Loring Air Force Base, Maine, on March 22. Onboard the flight were several high-ranking officers, including Brigadier General Paul T. and various crew members.
During the final leg of the flight from Maine to the United Kingdom, the aircraft transited the Atlantic Ocean via a route passing near weather ships. At approximately 0100 Zulu on March 23, 1951, the aircraft reported its position roughly 800 miles southwest of Ireland. Shortly after this check-in, the crew issued a Mayday distress signal, reporting an active fire within the cargo hold. In an attempt to manage the emergency, the crew began jettisoning cargo crates and prepared for an ocean ditching.
The aircraft successfully reached the water at approximately 50 degrees 45 minutes North, 24 degrees 03 minutes West. While the airframe remained intact upon impact, all 53 occupants evacuated into life rafts. A B-29 search aircraft located the survivors via flares but was unable to drop rescue supplies. Despite an extensive-scale search involving both air and sea assets, no survivors were recovered. Subsequent searches only uncovered charred debris and a partially deflated raft.
Findings
A fire in the cargo hold was the primary factor that necessitated the emergency ditching of the aircraft.