Introduction
A Douglas C-47 (49-2612) collided with an F-80C Shooting Star fighter-interceptor on December 22, 1952,
killing the pilot of the F-80, two nurses, six wounded Americans, and the five crew members of the C-47.
The C-47 was being flown by Squadron Leader Panayotis Frangoyannis of the Royal Hellenic Air Force.
The accident took place at night. Air Force veteran John Brady was a friend of Capt. John McGinnis, who
was the pilot of the F-80. In 2000, John Brady wrote on the Korean War Project (www.kwp.org)
the following message about his friend:
"John was killed on the runway at K-13 as he was taking off for a nite mission into No. Korea. A
Greek gooney bird (c47) took the short taxiway to runway as John was gaining speed from the end taxiway.
He jettisoned his two 500 pound bombs and tip tanks but could not clear the 47 and many litter patients
(air evac) and two or three nurses were killed in the explosion that occurred in front of our Quonset
hut. He got up to get out but did not quite make it. He was a great person with a wife and children back
home. He was with me at the Yalu when some MiGs caught us alone."
To add more information to this page, contact Lynnita Brown, 111 E. Houghton St., Tuscola, IL 61953; ph.
217-253-4620; e-mail lynnita@thekwe.org.
Fatalities
F-80C Shooting Star
- Capt. John Crysostom McGinnis - Air Force (Falls Church, Virginia)
Douglas C-47 (49-2612)
- DiBattista, Cpl. Gene Andre - Army passenger (Morgan, Pennsylvania)
- Eleftherios, Sgt. Alexander (Royal Hellenic Air Force)
- Frangoyannis, Panayotis - squadron leader/pilot (Royal Hellenic Air Force)
- Howerton, Pvt. Wayne Eugene - Army passenger (Lincoln, Illinois)
- Kemmerer, 2Lt. Robert Gene - (Chanute, Kansas)
- Lillie, TSgt. Darwin Arthur - Air Force passenger (Delaware, Ohio)
- Marstiller, TSgt. Francis Julian - Air Force medical technician (Beverly, West Virginia)
- McClure, Virginia May - Air Force flight nurse (Tabor, Iowa/Springfield, South Dakota)
See
Women in Korea
- Perakakis, 1Lt. Angelos - (Royal Hellenic Air Force)
- Perry, 1Lt. Margaret Fae - Air Force flight nurse (Morgantown, West Virginia)
See Women in Korea
- Stewart, A1/c Ronald Loren - Air Force passenger (Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin)
- Stokes, Pvt. John Ross - Army passenger (Athens, Georgia)
- Tzinakos, Pvt. Grigorios - (Royal Hellenic Air Force)
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