50832
LC-47J
 
Douglas C/N 26983
Ordered by USAAF as C-47B-20-DK
USAAF S/N 43-49722
Delivered to USN on 2 Jan 1945 as R4D-6
Assigned to NAS Banana River FL for "Project B"
Assigned to Naval Aero Lab at NAS Banana River in Oct 1945
Assigned to NAS Quonset Point RI in Sept 1947
Assigned to NAS Columbus in Dec 1947
There is a break in the records
Assigned to NAWC China Lake in Sptember 1956
Reassigned to the USMC in Hawaii in 1960
Redesignated C-47J in 1962
Converted to LC-47J
Assigned to VX-6 on 6 November 1965
 
Disopsition:  Crashed on the Ross Ice Shelf on 2 February 1966
 
From: Bill Spindler <spindle@attglobal.net>
Antarctic Journal 1/74:
"The third [DF 66] aircraft accident involved an LC-47J (Buno 50832) that crashed while in a landing approach at Mile 60 (78°51'S-159°28'W) on the Army-Navy Trail on February 2, 1966 [sic]. The airplane stalled while about 200 feet above the surface. The right wing dipped, the pilot corrected and the left wing dropped. The plane hit the snow surface while nearly
inverted. The wings broke off and the fuselage broke in two places before the plane caught fire and the JATO canisters on board exploded (U. S. Navy Task Force 43, 1966)."
"All six men on the plane were killed: Lieutenant Harold M. Morris, aircraft commander; Lieutenant William D. Fordell, copilot; Lieutenant Commander Ronald Rosenthal, navigator; AT1 Richard S. Simmons, radioman; ADJ3 Charles C. Kelley, plane captain, and ADR3 Wayne M. Shattuck, plane captain (trainee) (Air Development Squadron Six, 1966)."