COLUMBIA ARMY AIR BASE, COLUMBIA, SOCAR

COMMANDING GENERAL, THIRD AIR FORCE, TAMPA, FLA

PILOT SECOND LIEUTENANT PAUL M. PITTS DEPARTED COLUMBIA ARMY AIR BASE 1948 SECOND FEBRUARY 1943 NIGHT CROSS COUNTRY RETURNING TO COLUMBIA ARMY AIR BASE VIA FLORENCE RALEIGH LYNCHBURG GREENSBORO PERIOD ESTIMATED TIME ENROUTE THREE HOURS AND TEN MINUTES PERIOD REPORTED OVER RALEIGH AT 2058 EWT PERIOD WEATHER CAVU OVER ENTIRE ROUTE PERIOD ZZZ EMERGENCY WARNING SENT BY COLUMBIA RADIO AT 0128 EWT PERIOD AIRPLANE LAST REPORTED OVER RALEIGH NORTH CAROLINA AT 2058 EWT PERIOD UNIDENTIFIED AIRPLANE REPORTED CRASHED TWELVE MILES NORTH OF BEDFORD, VIRGINIA PERIOD OFFICERS FROM ROANOKE, VIRGINIA INVESTIGATING ABOVE CRASH PERIOD CO-PILOT SECOND LIEUTENANT WILLIAM C. MCCLURE BOMBADIER SECOND LIEUTENANT GEORGE R. BENINGA NAVIGATOR HILARY S. BLACKWELL ENGINEER CPL. PETER J. BISCAN PERIOD AFACG NOTIFIED PERIOD END

COLLAR COAB COLUMBIA

RECD AT MESSAGE CENT 030317Z