c/n 153

51-16465

x

• 51-16465 US Air Force. #1002. L-20A No: 3. Command AF-1. Available and accepted on 31-Oct-1951. Delivered 14-Nov-1951.

Accident: Alaska March 1962. Crashed. No other details currently available.

• Fate unknown •

USAF History

51-16465

The aircraft was initially delivered on 14-Nov-1951 from Toronto, Ontario, to the Air Research and Development Command at Edwards AFB and allocated to the 6510^th Air Base Wing from 04-Dec-1951 until 28-Jun-1952.

It was then assigned to the Alaskan Air Command at Elmendorf Air Force Base, Anchorage, and allocated to the 5039^th Air Transport Group from 28 Jun-1952. It moved to the 39^th Air Depot Wing from 15^th July 52 until 04-Apr-1953 and the 39^th Air Transport Group, which was re-designated 39^th Air Base Wing on 15-Apr-1953. Co-incidentally it moved to the 5^th Liaison Squadron from 15-Apr-1953 until 03-May-1953.

It is reported as suffering category 3 damage in a takeoff accident 190 mi. WNW of Bethel in Alaska on 29^th Apr- 1953 and was accordingly transferred to the 5039^th Maintenance Group. From 03-May-1953 for depot level maintenance.

After repair it returned to the 5039^th Air Transport Group from 01-Jun-1953 and then a return to the 5025^th Maintenance group on an unknown date. Another attachment to the 5^th Liaison Sqd. from 22-Oct-1953 followed before returning again to the 5025^th Maintenance Sqd from 02-Mar-1954 and back to the 5^th Liaison Sqd from 30-Mar-1954. Eventually it settled down with the 5039^th Air Base Wing from 01-Jun-1954 until Apr-1957.

April to June 1957 saw it travel to King Salmon for an allocation with the 705^th Air Base Construction Squadron to support the building of the small airbase. It then moved back to Elmendorf AFB., Anchorage, from 24-Jun-1957 to the 5039^th Air Transport Squadron, when the Elmendorf Air Base Wing was re-designated in October 1957 to become the 5040^th. 16465 was then allocated to the 5040^th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Group until 20-Oct-1961.

It moved to Eielson AFB, Fairbanks, in October 1961 and is reported as having crashed on or about 25-Mar-1962. Details are unknown but will be researched in the future.