| Sources |
- [S142] Newspaper Article, The Fayetteville Observer (NC), 2 May 1992.
Crewmen In Crash Identified
Henry Cuningham Staff Writer
Pope Air Force Base officials on Friday released the names of the nine crew members of the C-130 airplane that crashed Tuesday night into Blewett Falls Lake near Rockingham.
The body of a second crew member was recovered Friday, but seven others are still missing. Divers and rescue workers will continue the search today.
The crew members are:
*Flight Lt. Mark William Reynolds, pilot, 36th Squadron, Royal Australian Air Force Richmond.
*Capt. Gabriel Magrane, pilot. He entered the Air Force in February 1985.
*Capt. Thomas Edward Rowe, navigator. He entered the Air Force in May 1985.
*1st Lt. Gregg Forrest Johnston, navigator. He entered the Air Force in March 1989.
*1st Lt. Michael Edward Jones, co-pilot. He entered the Air Force in October 1987.
*1st Lt. John Glen Urbansky, navigator. He entered the Air Force in November 1988.
*Sgt. Stephen Francis Sablone Jr., flight engineer. He entered the Air Force in December 1985.
*Senior Airman Michael Shane Carpenter, load master. He entered the Air Force in June 1989.
*Airman 1st Class Shelton Maxwell Clark Jr., load master. He entered the Air Force in June 1989.
All the airmen are assigned to 317th Airlift Wing's 40th Airlift Squadron except Sgt. Sablone, who belongs to the 41st Airlift Squadron. The Australian officer was an exchange pilot assigned to the 40th Airlift Squadron.
Lt. Urbansky's hometown was Culver City, Calif. Officials declined to give hometowns of the other airmen whose status is listed as ``whereabouts unknown.''
Lt. Urbansky's body has been recovered. Another body has been recovered and identified, but Air Force officials were withholding his identification on Friday night until his family is notified.
The airplane belongs to the 317th Airlift Wing, but officials declined to say to which squadron it belongs. Spokesmen said the airplane was on a ``local training mission'' but declined to give details.
Recovery and rescue teams are scheduled to resume their efforts today at the crash site about nine miles west of Rockingham. The airplane is submerged in muddy water. Only the top of the tail is visible above the water.
``We've had very slow progress with the diving,'' said Col. Ronald W. Blake, commander of Pope's 317th Support Group. Col. Blake is in charge of rescue and recovery efforts.
Divers from Pope's 1721st Combat Control Squadron have been searching the site for the past three days, Col. Blake said. Navy salvage experts began helping on Friday.
Water visibility and other obstructions in the lake are hampering operations, officials said. Stumps in the lake and cable and jagged metal from the wreckage ``make it very dangerous for the divers,'' he said.
The water where the airplane lies varies in depth from 10 to 14 feet.
The airplane's nose apparently has broken off the main fuselage, Col. Blake said. ``It (the airplane) is in several pieces scattered throughout the immediate area,'' he said.
Recovery workers have picked up a signal in the water from the cockpit noise recorder, which may give clues to what happened, Col. Blake said.
Workers will try to lift the airplane from the lake with a crane capable of lifting 45 tons, he said. Military officials on Friday were waiting for more Navy salvage equipment to arrive at the crash site. The Army has provided barges from Fort Benning, Ga., for the recovery effort.
The airplane is filled with mud and silt, Col. Blake said.
Divers will try to determine the best places to hook cables to lift the pieces of the airplane. ``We're going to take a great deal of pains,'' Col. Blake said. ``It's trial and error down there.''
A board of Air Force officers is investigating the accident. Officials decline to speculate on the cause. Accident reports usually are not made public until several months later. Conclusions on the cause usually are omitted to encourage candid testimony.
``Every little piece gives them a clue to what happened,'' Col. Blake said.
Anyone finding parts of the aircraft should call (919) 394-4183.
- [S147] Find a Grave, (Memorial: 5763728).
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