Aviation Archeology Guest Speaker
1Lt Henry Franken discusses a 63 year old B-17 Flyingfortress crash site to the cadets of Sq. 144.
By Capt Dennis Ammann, San Diego Cadet Squadron 144 PAO
San Diego – 1Lt Henry Franken from Des Moines Composite Squadron visited Squadron 144 on 11 July 2006. He spoke about his experience researching and surveying a Boeing B-17F Flyingfortress crash site in Montana. Mr. Franken was in San Diego editing his film coverage at his daughter’s TV studio and will produce a documentary in the near future about this project. The subject B-17F was from the 401st Bombardment Group (Heavy), 612th Squadron, stationed at Great Falls, Montana and crashed on 1 October 1943, two miles east of Big Sandy, MT.
Lieutenant Franken introduced himself and his experience as a CAP SAR ground team member which is why he developed an interest in aviation archeology by working with grid patterns and finding ELTs. He is currently semi-retired, and the Co-Director of Vatterott College in Des Moines, IA. In addition, Mr. Franken is a motivational speaker in the areas of, perseverance, leadership, and the lessons of positive attitudes.
He first talked about how he grew up in Madison, Wisconsin and as a child, gained access to numerous WWII B-17s in hangars waiting to be flown to Arizona’s bone yards after WWII. Later he moved to Montana and attended high school there. While in high school he heard rumors about a B-17 plane crash site somewhere east of Big Sandy. Many years later he followed up on that rumor.
Mr. Franken then explained the purpose of aviation archeology: document, identify, locate, record, and finalize an aircraft crash site. The procedures require one to work through numerous agencies, such as the USAF, FAA, state, local county, and city governments, and local land owners, etc. Not to mention, environmental concerns such as, hot weather, thunder storms, animal bits, insects, etc. He also explained how ethics plays a major roll while surveying a crash site and explaining to all concerned how they survey and not alter the appearance of the area. Research is a major portion of aviation archeology prior to visiting a crash site; 1Lt Franken first had to write a letter to the USAF under the Freedom of Information Act in order to obtain information concerning the accident.
No one could explain how this crash occurred on that dreadful morning 63 years ago on 1 October 1943. The official records state that the probable cause was “pilot judgment error; lack of care in flight; momentary lapse of mental efficiency” causing structural failure. No mechanical defects were noted in the squadron maintenance records. The investigation results stated that the limitations and flight characteristics of the B-17 needs to be emphasized during training. 2Lt John W. McIlwain, USAAF was pilot in command, with 2Lt George W. Heaps as his co-pilot along with five other aircrewmen. The big question is why this happened on a clear morning at 1005 hours with all their previous training. The 401st Bomb Group was to depart in just two weeks for Station 128, Deenethorpe, England.
In order to understand what went on in the cockpit, Mr. Franken talked to a B-17 pilot about flying characteristics and structural stress limits of this large four engine bomber. He found that one has to keep the nose up when turning and if it drops three percent, one can quickly lose control in a dive. Perhaps this is what happened as Lt McIlwain finished the bombing run at 20,000 feet, turned into a half roll, the four engines racing with gravity; making it harder and harder to pull up. At about 475 mph they exceeded the limits of the airframe to safely withstand stress. Finally at 7,000 feet they pulled level but this snapped the wings off and the fuselage flipped end over end and landed on the prairie, killing all aboard. Only one pilot saw what happened that morning and it is believed that the bomb group observer, high above the bomber formation observed Lt McIlwain’s final flight. Lt Franken noted that 35,000 airmen perished in combat during WWII with 15,000 airmen killed during training accidents in the United States.
Lt Franken led a group of aviation archeologists to Big Sandy. This particular crash site was chosen because of its isolation, with mostly farm land, flat prairie, and no one disturbing the site after all these years. One of the main purposes was to report to the surviving families concerning what they found and document the data for the National Historical Preservation Society. The area is littered with alkaline cans and inert practice bombs dropped by the bombers during training flights. The bomb groups were using Great Falls as the initial point or IP; then proceeded to 20,000 feet; dropped their bombs at the Big Sandy bombing range; break formation; and return to their respective air bases.
One important resource is to find eye witnesses or persons who have knowledge of the crash site. Only one person was found by the research team to talk to; an elderly lady who was in the 6th or 7th grade at the time. She heard the engines, looked up and saw a puff of smoke off in the horizon. The crash site was located by comparing land marks on the 63 year old investigation photos with current land marks on the horizon. The team also used aerial photos from an old satellite called, “Tierra Server” that U.S. Government bought from Russia. The satellite photos revealed faint traces of the “splash” area by providing a detailed look at the topographical features like disturbed soil from vehicles retrieving aircraft wreckage and old make-shift roads used to haul out debris sixty years ago. After the “splash” area was located, the archeologists could start their grid work.
Before the grid patterns were started, they had to obtain permission from private land owners, government agencies, etc. and inform all parties about their intensions, procedures, and prove that they were following all ethical guidelines. They even recruited a doctor who could administer first aid in case of accidents. Once permission was granted, metal detectors were used to locate objects on the ground with three foot grids and red flags positioned to show debris. The splash area was precisely documented and each object noted. Mr. Franken also received the assistance of the University of Iowa, School of Journalism and Broadcasting who assigned a student film crew to film every aspect of the expedition. After the initial report is completed, families are located from the death certificates to see if any living relatives might have additional information about the crash.
In order to get a better feel of what the training must have been like those many years ago, Mr. Franken ran a film clip of a WWII B-17 bombing mission over Europe, explaining each step from mission briefing, preflight, mid-air assembly, bomb run, return to base, landing, and debrief.
Lt Franken emphasized the value of saving aircraft artifacts for future research and study. A lot of the residents of Big Sandy have aircraft parts from this particular crash, i.e., engine cowling, propeller, generator, etc., and will not give them up. In a few years from now the next generation might just throw them away as they do not care to retain the artifacts anymore.
Finally, the speaker shared a personal story about his “attitude adjustment” when he was the same age as most of the cadets. His father turned him over to an 80 year old pilot by the name of Walt Hensley who took him up in a Cessna 170 aircraft for flight lessons. Old Walt demonstrated the proper attitude by using a “point of reference” in flight AND related this vital part of flying to Henry as a life experience. Mr. Hensley had a profound effect on young Henry Franken and he benefited from that experience through his life.
1Lt Henry Franken receives a CAP Citation from Maj Daryl Newton for his presentation concerning aviation archeology.
Maj Daryl Newton, the Squadron Commander, thanked Mr. Franken and presented a CAP citation from the squadron. The cadets also thanked him for stopping by and conducting his presentation in support of aerospace education.
This lecture has reinforced the knowledge obtained from the squadron’s experience at the Wings Over Gillespie Air Show where a B-17G and B-24J Liberator usually fly in each year. There are many aspects of Aerospace Education and this lecture has widened the squadron’s knowledge and appreciation of the men who flew and fought during WWII. Perhaps one of the cadets might find themselves some day heading a college grant project to document a plane crash long ago on some South Pacific Island?
