Bill Beigel's War Casualties Blog

 

At 6:30 PM, the aircraft headed back to the base. However, the pilot could not see the field.  He attempted to locate the field using electronic means, but the ship's radio was malfunctioning.  Hours went by, and the aircraft was running low on fuel.

 

In  the darkness, around 10:30 PM, the crew was able to see the moon shining off some water below.  They had almost no idea where they were.  The pilot contemplated giving the bail-out order, but decided instead to try to for a water landing on the lakes below.

 

Lowering the plane, the water became obscured by a thick ground fog. At last getting below the fog, water was no where to be seen. A wide-open field appeared, and the pilot opted to try for a landing there.  The plane hit the ground and skidded for 700 feet until it was stopped by an irrigation ditch.  All the crew escaped the crash safely.

 

A local farmer at the scene informed the crew that they were near the town of Ciudada Obregon, Mexico, near the Gulf of California. Not long after the crash, the plane began to burn, and soon was a total wreck.

 

A Board of Inquiry found LT Hugg to be 100% at fault in the crash; however, he was allowed to remain in flight school.

 

On July 28, 1944, LT Hugg was serving as a copilot with the 459th Bomb Group.  His B-24 was downed on a mission to Ploesti, Romania.  All aboard were killed.