Investigation Summary
The aircraft was one of the early C-54 Skymasters utilized by the Air Transport Command for long-range ferrying during World War II. On its final leg toward Natal, Brazil, the flight carried a mix of TWA civilian crew members and U.S. Army personnel. The mission was considered high-priority as the passengers were headed to Morocco for the Casablanca Conference, a high-level wartime meeting between Allied leaders. Among the delegation were high-ranking FBI agents Percy Foxworth and Harold Haberfeld, who were on a secret mission to assist with security and intelligence for the conference. The investigation into the mid-air disintegration was complicated by the remote jungle location and wartime conditions. While a bomb was suspected due to prior rumors, no definitive evidence of an explosive device was recovered. Notably, crews of two other C-54s flying the same route within 30 minutes of the accident reported seeing anti-aircraft fire from the ocean, leading to theories of an encounter with an enemy submarine, though this was never officially confirmed as the cause of the crash.
Final Conclusions
The exact cause of the mid-air explosion and subsequent disintegration could not be determined. The investigation noted the prior bomb threat and the discovery of a maintenance tool (screwdriver) in a sensitive compartment, but these factors were not conclusively linked to the structural failure.
Video Analysis
No video analysis linked for this case file yet.
Airframe & Maintenance
Systems & Failure Modes
IFF Device
Identification Friend or Foe system; a screwdriver was found in its access hatch during a security sweep in Trinidad prior to the crash.
Airframe Structure
The aircraft suffered a total structural failure in flight, resulting in the debris being scattered over a remote jungle area.
Interesting Facts
- 01All 35 people on board (10 crew and 25 passengers) were killed.
- 02The aircraft was a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster, serial number 41-32939, manufactured in 1942.
- 03Passenger Eric Mowbray Knight, a Major in the US Army Special Services and author of 'Lassie', was among the fatalities.
- 04The passenger list included: Maj Eric Mowbray Knight, Cpt Albert L. Seeman, Cpt Basil D. Gallagher, 1st Lt Charles W. Campbell, 1st Lt Peter D. Barnhart, 1st Lt Donald C. Martin, 2nd Lt Carl A. Matteo, 2nd Lt Robert B. Walker, 2nd Lt John T. Girling, 2nd Lt Thomas L. Gallagher, 2nd Lt Max Solomon, F/O Charles S. Shively, S/Sgt Russell A. Baughman, S/Sgt Ellis H. Roberts Jr., S/Sgt Heyward O. Wylie, S/Sgt Roger M. Stoflet, Sgt Oscar Spahr Jr., Sgt Charles S. Roberts Jr., Percy E. Foxworth (FBI), Harold D. Haberfeld (FBI), William Hodson, James W. Seeger, Charles Howell Brown, Osmon E. Henryson, and Morris Lewis.
- 05Two other C-54 aircraft flying nearby reported seeing anti-aircraft fire from a suspected enemy submarine.
- 06The flight was operated by TWA under contract for the USAAF Air Transport Command.
Known Controversies & Unanswered Questions
Enemy Submarine Action
Reference ↗Crews of two identical C-54 aircraft flying shortly before and after the accident reported seeing anti-aircraft fire from what appeared to be an enemy submarine in the area, leading to speculation the plane was shot down.
Location
ACCIDENT SITE · Coordinates taken from the geocoded place name.