44-35955

A-26C-55 Invader
File:.jpg
Builders: Douglas Aircraft Company
Operators: United States Air Force
Number Built:
First Built:
GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS
Type: Light Attack Bomber
Wet Weight: 31,000 lbs
Length: 51' 3" (15.24 m)
Height: 18' 6" (5.64 m)
Wingspan: 70' (21.34 m)
Wing Area: 540 Sq. Feet (50.17 m²)
Speed: 212 mph
Max Speed: 370 mph
Ceiling: 31,300 feet
Powerplant: 2x Ford R-2800-79
Horsepower: 2,000 each
Fuel Capacity: 1,600 US Gallons
Range:
Crew: 3
Passengers: 1
ARMAMENT
Nose Guns: None
Dorsal Turret: 2x .50 Machine Guns
Ventral Turret: 2x .50 Machine Guns
Payload: 4,000 lbs internal 2,000 lbs wing points
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See also: List of Invaders by Serial Number, Serial Numbers starting with 43
N8394H

Operational History

25 Jul 1945 - construction finished, plane available 27 Jul 1945 - accepted into USAF inventory (Taken on Charge). For some reason the plane was shipped from Tulsa to Long Beach. It left Tulsa on the 27th and went to Love Field. 28 Jul 1945 - Left Love Field for Long Beach. 29 Jul 1945 - Arrived at Long Beach. It appears to have sat in storage at Long Beach for about 9 months. 1 Mar 1946 - Assigned to 47th Bomb Group, then stationed at Lake Charles, LA. 11 Nov 1946 - The 47th Bomb Group moved to Biggs Field. The plane had a couple of short trips to other bases during this time, but remained stationed with the 47th @ Biggs as its primary duty station. 31 Mar 1949 - The 47th Bomb Group moved to Barksdale AFB. 15 Aug 1949 - The plane was assigned to Air Material Command (AMC) - Storage. 17 Oct 1949 - Assigned to 2750th Air Base Unit @ Wright-Patterson AFB. 7 Mar 1951 - Assigned to the 4400th Combat Crew Training Squadron (CCTS) @ Langley AFB. This unit was the Air Commando group. 10 Mar 1952 - Assigned to the 3555th Fighter Training Wing @ Perrin AFB. In this capacity should would have been a target tug pulling aerial gunnery targets for the fighters. 16 Apr 1953 - 3755th Pilot Training Wing @ Vance AFB. She was converted to a TB-26 and had a dual control yoke installed here. She was used to train new pilots on how to fly. 8 Sep 1953 - Sent to AMC Storage at Hill AFB. 11 Jan 1954 - Assigned back to 3575th Training Wing @ Vance. May 1957 - Assigned to the 180th Fighter Squadron @ Rosecrans AFB, MO. Dec 1957 - Sent to long term storage at Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. Aug 1958 - Authorized for Reclamation (scrapping). Scott Thompson also shows this plane as being registered as N2923Y. IF that's true it was probably done so during this gap here. I have not been able to confirm this either way. 1963 - Purchased by Kenlyn Petroleum Corp, Los Angeles, CA. Registered as N8394H. 3 Jul 1968 - Damaged in mid-air collision with Cessna 150 (N7188S) over Resada, CA. The A-26 landed in Van Nuys, CA. (A lawsuit regarding this case was filed. The family of the Cessna pilots killed in the accident sued for wrongful death. The case transcript can be read here: https://casetext.com/case/pitcock-v-b-w-inc/?PHONE_NUMBER_GROUP=C&NEW_CASE_PAGE=N ) 1970 - Kenlyn's FAA Registry lapsed. June 1981 - Sold to Rodney G. Huskey of Grand Junction, CO. Withdrawn from use and placed in open storage. Removed from US Civil Registry per owner request.

Accidents

FAA Summary of Accident on 3 Jul 1968:
NTSB Identification: LAX69A0002
14 CFR Part 91 General Aviation
Event occurred Wednesday, July 03, 1968 in RESEDA, CA
Aircraft: DOUGLAS A-26B, registration: N8394H

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FILE    DATE          LOCATION          AIRCRAFT DATA       INJURIES       FLIGHT                        PILOT DATA
                                                              F  S M/N     PURPOSE

3-2125 68/7/3 RESEDA, CALIF DOUGLAS A-26B CR- 0 0 2 NONCOMMERCIAL AIRLINE TRANSPORT, AGE

       TIME - 1541                    N8394H              PX-  0  0  0  CORP/EXEC                  45, 15391 TOTAL HOURS,
                                      DAMAGE-SUBSTANTIAL OT- 2  0  0                               285 IN TYPE, INSTRUMENT
                                                                                                   RATED.
       NAME OF AIRPORT - VAN NUYS
       TYPE OF ACCIDENT                                         PHASE OF OPERATION
          COLLISION WITH AIRCRAFT: BOTH IN FLIGHT                  LANDING: TRAFFIC PATTERN-CIRCLING
       PROBABLE CAUSE(S)
          PILOT IN COMMAND - FAILED TO SEE AND AVOID OTHER AIRCRAFT
          PERSONNEL - MISCELLANEOUS-PERSONNEL: PILOT OF OTHER AIRCRAFT
        SPECIAL DATA
         SEGMENTS OF AVIATION INVOLVED - SMALL US GEN.AV.-LARGE US GEN.AV.
         CONTROLLING AGENCY - TOWER                               RADAR CTL/SURVEILLANCE - NOT UNDER RADAR CONTACT
         TRAFFIC ADVISORY ISSUED - NONE                           CONTROLLED/UNCONTROLLED AIRPORT - CONTROLLED AIRPORT
         CONTROL ZONE/AREA - YES                                  EVASIVE ACTION TAKEN - NO
         ANTI-COLLISION LIGHTS - INSTALLED, OPERATION UNKNOWN
       REMARKS- BOTH PLTS FAILED TO SEE EACH OTHER. N8394H LANDED SAFELY, N7188S CRASHED IN RESIDENTIAL AREA.

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Crew

Unknown

Disposition

Unknown.

Sources

Databases searched:

• AAIR -
• MACR -
• KORWALD -
• Baugher