Fatal Glider Accident, Tiffield England

SYLVAN R. LUCIER, KILLED IN LINE OF DUTY
ONE OF 351 GLIDER PILOTS WHO DID NOT RETURN HOME FROM THE WAR

According to information in a Glider Pilot Roll of Honor contained in the web site www.pointvista.com, there were as many as 6,000 American Combat Glider Pilots. Of these, 211 died in combat, approximately 636 were wounded, and another 140 died in the line of duty, usually in glider training accidents. The combined casualty rate came to 16.4 % of the total number of pilots. Examining just those killed or injured in combat, it amounts to about 20%. This was considered very high by any standard.

AN EARLY TRAINING ACCIDENT
The accident that took Sylvan's life was not his first. The development of war time glider usage went on for some time in the U.S. and the number of stateside accidents as young men learned the techniques is not often chronicled. Overseas time between missions was also spent sharpening a pilot's skills. Landing one's load of men or equipment in whatever terrain required, under fire, in daylight or darkness, took a lot of practice. Charles L. Day writes the book about the manufacturer 's role in the development of the CG-4A glider: Silent Ones, WWII Invasion Glider Test and Experiment. It is published by the author.

In February 2008, while working at Maxwell Air Base Research Center, my husband found an index of glider accidents and putting in my uncle's name, found that a training accident was recorded in January, 1943, at the Army Air Force's Glider School at Dalhart, Texas. The pilots involved were, Sylvan R. Lucier and co-pilot, Ben Grobman. They were in the 880th Glider Training Squadron at Dalhart, Texas and were also together in the 49th Squadron in Africa. (Pictures of Sylvan, Ben and other glider pilot friends in the 880th were posted earlier on this site. )

Synopsis of the January 7, 1943, accident:
Glider: CG-4A
A.F. No: 42-61849
Pilot Charged: Sylvan R. Lucier, 338th BH & AB Squadron, of the 880

On January 7, Sylvan Lucier, at that time a Staff Sargent, was on a night time glider training mission with his friend and co-pilot Ben Grobman. He undershot the lighted landing area and made an unsuccessful landing. . The “Report of Aircraft Accident” says Lucier had eight hours experience flying this model and that within the last three months he had put in nearly 32 hours flying including almost eight hours in the dark of night. The landing gear broke on landing, causing damage to other parts of the aircraft; the left skid, the nose section, the jury strut and the left wing. The statement of responsibility says: The pilot stated that he undershot the lighted landing area and landed in a soft spot on the field causing left landing gear to give way. The aircraft accident officer finds that the accident was due to 100% pilot error by undershooting the designated landing area and making an unsuccessful landing.

KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY, WHILE FLYING DOUBLE TOW
In February, 2006, while searching the internet, I found an aviation archeology site in the United Kingdom. The staff gave me the names of individuals in Arizona who had reports of American glider/airplane crashes. For a small fee I was quickly sent the “Report of Aircraft Accident” for my uncle's glider accident which cost his life and that of his co-pilot, Iving Krohn, and a mechanic, Durwood Basham. Since then the details of that report have filled my mind and fueled my research.

Tiffield , a village of about 100 in 1944, is about 65 miles by road from Greenham Common Air Base from where the 20 gliders were being towed by 10 aircraft that day of October 13, 1944. The 316 Troop Carrier Group, to which Sylvan belonged, was based at Cottesmore, Rutland which is about 50 miles further North East from the crash scene. Greenham, Tiffield and Cottesmore are almost on a straight line with each other.

Sylvan R. Lucier, was flying double tow from Greenham Common to Cottesmore. His glider hit a field one half mile from Tiffield, Northants. All three occupants were killed in the CG-4A glider crash.

Burl B. Miner, a 2nd Lieutenant, was the pilot of the glider on the long tow. He too had a co-pilot and glider mechanic on board. His statement is as follows:
We were flying double tow at an altitude of approximately 1600. Flight Officer Lucier, S.R. was pilot of the Glider on the short rope and I was piloting the glider on the long rope. At approximately 1200 hours 3 minutes south of North Hampton we came very close together. The glider on the short rope started down rather suddenly, and in going down, his right elevator struck our left wing. The glider stayed on tow for approximately 30 seconds directly beneath us then he cut, and Lt. Ernst, (2nd Lt. William S. Ernst, Michigan) started looking for him. The tug ship made an immediate turn to the left, circled the area, and no one saw the glider, except Lt. Ernst who said he thought he saw it cracked up on the ground.

Edward S. Ash, 1st Lt. was the pilot of the Tow Plane. His statement regarding he accident:

The tow ship was at 1600 feet with the base of broken clouds at approximately 2500. The visibility wa four to six miles and there was moderate turbulence. The tow ship airspeed was 115 MPH as the pilot had just noticed the speed as he felt the plane lurch forward. The pilot immediately had the crew chief look out the dome to see how many gliders were on the tow. He reported that there was but one left so the pilot made a 360 degree turn so as to locate and report on the other glider. Although the tow ship made two 360 degree turns, with one glider in tow, the personnel could not locate other glider so the pilot proceeded home base after marking the approximate spot that the glider cut loose. The pilot of the tow ship figured at the time that the personnel of the remaining glider would know where the other glider landed. After landing the pilot reported the loss of the glider to Squadron Operations and Squadron Engineering. The time the glider was lost was 1200 hours.

Sylvan Lucier and his Co-pilot, Irving W. Krohn, were both experienced pilots. The report showed that Lucier had nearly 225 hours flying this type of glider (CG-4A, Hadrian) and Irving Krohn had 230. Sylvan had flown 13 ½ hours in that model in the last 90 days. That would have included flying without a co-pilot across the channel on September 18, to land under gun fire in Holland.

The mission that day was ferrying gliders from Greenham Common where they were assembled to Cottesmore where the Group had need of them, (Station 486 to 489) since losing so many in Holland. The accident and its cause is described in the report:
Crashed into field at a steep angle, evidentially out of control. After impact the glider went over on its back and the fuselage twisted so that the tail assembly was right side up. The glider struck slightly right wing low.
The glider piloted by F/O Lucier was on short rope, left side of a double tow and struck the wing of the other glider and tore about two square feet from the center of the right elevator. The glider cut loose from the tow craft.

All the above information is repeated in the description filed by the investigating board of Capt. Richard W. Etter, Major William E. Childers, and Major Bertie W. David. The only new information was that there was only one eye witness, a civilian, who stated that the glider fell to the ground at a steep angle out of control.
Responsibility for the accident and recommendations for action to prevent repetition were made:
The party or parties responsible for making up the long tow rope were grossly negligent as the long rope was found to be 44 feet short of the required length thus causing the gliders to overlap in flight. Both glider pilots used poor judgement when they failed to cut loose and land after realizing how dangerously close they were flying. Crew of crashed glider neglected to take parachutes that were available in tug aircraft thus nullifying any opportunity they may have had to bail out.
It is the belief of the investigating board that, if the causes listed in the above paragraph were corrected accidents of this nature would be eliminated.
Recommendations:
1. Glider pilots have been instructed to wear parachutes at all times except when carrying Airborne troops.
2. A thorough inspection is now being made of tow ropes to insure they are the specified length.