The crash of the C-45 Expeditor in Lake Ontario near Oswego, NY, on September 11, 1952, was a harrowing event that fortunately resulted in the safe evacuation of all passengers and crew members. The C-45 Expeditor, a military aircraft used during WWII, was on a routine training exercise carrying three air force officers and two civilian technical advisors en route from Bedford, Massachusetts, to Griffiss Air Force Base near Rome, New York. The pilot was Lt. Col. Charles A. Callahan.
Around 40 miles southeast of Utica, New York, the left engine of the plane began to fail. Despite the engine still working, the plane was unable to maintain a steady altitude when it was approximately 8 miles from Rome. Realizing the severity of the situation, Lt. Col. Callahan made a courageous decision and ordered all four passengers to parachute out of the plane while it was still at a safe altitude to do so. He followed shortly afterward, and all passengers safely landed near Schutler Corners, about 15 to 20 miles southeast of Utica.
With a lighter load, the plane continued flying for about 70 minutes, or approximately 65 miles, until it crashed into Lake Ontario. It is believed that the plane’s engine had fully failed by that point, leading to its circling motion until the crash. Witnesses in Oswego reported seeing the plane approach the lake at a low altitude before crashing. Following the crash, a search and rescue operation by the Coast Guard and the United States Air Force did not locate any wreckage in the reported area.
However, in July 2014, an exploration team looking for shipwrecks in Lake Ontario discovered the wreck of the C-45 Expeditor using sonar imaging. The plane was found to be further from the shore than initially reported due to the difficulty in judging distance over water and the plane’s gliding effect after hitting the water. The wreck was found in over 150 feet of water, and the exploration team used a remote-controlled vehicle to capture video footage of the plane underwater.
The C-45 Expeditor, also known as the Model 18 “Twin Beech,” was a versatile and widely used aircraft during WWII. It served various purposes in different branches of the military, and there were around 9,388 aircraft produced in various models. Despite the crash, the C-45’s design and reliability made it one of the most successful aircraft of its time, and a few operational C-45s still exist today.
The discovery of the wreckage in Lake Ontario provided valuable historical insight into the accident and serves as a reminder of the bravery and resourcefulness of the passengers and crew who safely parachuted to safety during the 1952 incident.
