In 1962, an Air Force C-47 landed near Troy – The Troy Messenger

An article in the February 7, 1962 issue of Troy Messenger tells the story of a plane crash that narrowly missed the home of JB Starling.

A crew of five escaped injury when their Air Force C-47 plane crashed on the outskirts of Troy around 11 o'clock last night.

The twin-engine plane crashed into an open field about 600 yards from Highway 29, narrowly missing JB Starling's home where three people were sleeping.

It was reported that the aircraft suffered engine failure while en route from Andrews AFB, Maryland, to Brookley AFB in Mobile. Highway Patrolman JP Long said he was told the plane crashed while his crew was trying to return it to Troy Municipal Airport.

One of the planes took off. He was picked up near Charles Henderson High School. The other four crew members brought the ailing aircraft to the ground.

The plane severed a power cable and then landed on a wheel not far from the Starling home. The fallen power cable started a small grass fire.

The aircraft struck the ground about 100 feet from the Starling home and skidded about 300 meters, causing severe damage to the underside of the aircraft. The engines appeared to be badly damaged and a wing tip was torn off.

Ms Starling said she woke up when the plane hit the power cable. “The Lord was with us last night,” she said this morning.

Patrolman Long said the plane's pilot told him he saw the house just before impact and managed to turn the plane to avoid impact.

A helicopter from nearby Ft. Rucker took the leaflets from the scene of the accident to a hospital at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery. The crew members were checked for injuries and released.

A small crowd of Trojans flocked to the crash site. The Pike County Citizens Band Radio Club assisted police officers with crowd control until air patrol officers from Maxwell arrived.

Radio club members also assisted the helicopter pilot in landing his plane by illuminating a landing pad with car lights and red indicators.

The crew members were Maj. Truman Hermansen, the pilot; Capt. George M. Walker, Capt. Edward N. Erickson, S. Sgt. Peter D. Berger, Jr. and Airman 1st C. Robert E. Cathey, all attached to Langley AFB, Va. Their hometowns were not immediately available.

All of these articles can be found in previous issues of The Troy Messenger. Stay tuned for more. Dianne Smith is president of the Pike County Historical, Genealogical, and Preservation Society.