GC72WF0 Aviation Cache: F-80 Midair Collision 10/22/1954 (Traditional Cache) in Iowa, United States created by captainj

GC72WF0 ▼

A cache by captainj Message this owner

Hidden : 3/28/2017

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Size: Size: micro (micro)

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Oct 23, 1954 Headline (Des Moines Register Archive)

Lt. Russell C. Larson, 26, who escaped serious injury in the collision of two jet planes Friday night, reads at Veterans Hospital here. (Des Moines Register Archive)

On October 22, 1954 two F-80 fighters of the Iowa Air National Guard collided at 20,000 feet on a night training mission. One pilot was killed.

The latest model ejection seats, which had been recently installed in the Iowa Air National Guard jets, were credited by the other pilot, with saving his life.

Lt. James E. Maddy, 25, Des Moines, perished when his plane plummeted to a cornfield about three miles south of the Des Moines Airport.

The second pilot, Lt. Russell C. Larson, 26, a student at Iowa State University, was found wandering down a road about three miles south of Fort Des Moines. He was taken to Veterans Hospital for observation.

Larson said he blacked out when the collision occured and the next thing he knew hew was floating to the earth in his parachute. His aircraft crashed in a ditch on the Old Rifle Range road 3 miles south of Fort Des Moines.

Photo of Burning Jet (Des Moines Register Oct 23, 1954)

The planes were part of the Des Moines-based 124th Fighter Bomber Squadron.

Witnesses said the crash sounded like an explosion, then the planes streaked to the early "like meteors." The wreckages burned fiercely for several hours.

Maddy perished in his burning plane. He was survived by his wife, Nancy, who was expecting their first child in March, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Arthur L. Maddy of Lovilla. He had graduated from Lovilla High School. He was called to active duty during the Korean War.

Larson, whose home is in Pierson, joined the Air National Guard the March before the accident

A third plane, piloted by Lt. Col. Robert M. Moorehead of Des Moines, also was on the training flight but escaped the collision.

The planes were on a night training mission. Moorehead and Maddy's F-80's were supposed to join up with Larson's F-80. The two planes were just about to overtake Larson's aircraft when they apperantly overflew it and the collision occurred.

Russ Larson went on to work for General Electric. There he was a test pilot for 33 years. He passed away on September 13, 2011 in Palmdale, CA.

The cache is located about 1 mile north of the crash site. The bridge south of the cache is under construction and there is currently no way to the crash site.