I have written much about the Fairfax plant over the years. Indeed, I have spent countless hours researching, preserving, and digitizing every piece of B-25 history I uncover. For some reason, one specific moment in the history of the Fairfax bomber plant intrigues me. Every time I come across another clue to the puzzle, I stop and reflect on the tragedy that occurred. The lives of five relatively unknown individuals cut short in greater service to their country. To honor them, I feel I must tell their story.
Early 1942 brought the first tragedy to the plant. On April 26, 1942, B-25D-NC SN 41-29660 crashed three-quarters of a mile north of the Kansas City Municipal Airport due to probable engine failure after take-off. All crew on board were lost. For those of a superstitious nature, 41-29660 was the 13th B-25D-NC built by the plant. Factory Manager, H. V. Schwalenberg, had this to say:
"A tragedy has occurred. Five soldiers of production have given their lives to our country, no less courageously than though they fought at Corregidor; we have lost our first bomber.
And what should we say to you concerning this accident?
We are sure these five brave men; Chief Test Pilot Ray Quick, Co-pilot Basil Sims, Crew Members Charles Frederick, Edward Krakora and Joseph Peacher could they but speak to us once again would say to their fellow North American Employees: 'We did our best; now you must carry on.'
With reverence to their memory, we take the flag from their hands and hold it high. You who have gone west, we shall carry on- more diligently than before.
The cause of the accident will be determined and from it, we shall learn the way to avoid another."
According to the crash report, the proper pre-flight examination was completed by the ground crew. The pilot made the proper routine check of the airplane and the engines. There were no pre-flight indications of any issues with any of the B-25's systems. Having completed a satisfactory pre-flight, clearance was received for take-off from the Fairfax control tower. Take-off appeared normal.
The B-25 left the runway at Fairfax Airport to the south. Immediately after take-off they encountered difficulties. The B-25 went left in a decided flat turn executed with very little gain in altitude. The B-25 cleared the nearby oil tanks by only a few feet. The gear was not retracted and the airplane never gained more than 200 feet in altitude.
The ill-fated bomber passed over the Missouri river dike in a semi-stall condition crossing the northern boundaries of the Kansas City Municipal Airport. At this point, a left turn resulting in approximately an 80 degree bank was made and the plane immediately crashed onto the tracks of the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy railroad switch tracks at 11:05 in the morning.
The investigation interviewed witnesses for several days following the accident. The three Municipal Airport control tower operators all testified that fire enveloped the left wing of the B-25 momentarily prior to the crash. Railroad men on the scene reported that one of the crew was thrown from the crash and was initially alive, but unconscious. None of the men would survive. Two Kansas City Kansas police officers on duty at the Fairfax Airport called fire headquarters before they could determine the location of the crash. The flight of the plane was so low they assumed it had crashed into either the river or on the river bank. Firemen from Fairfax responded, but turned back once they discovered the plane had crashed in North Kansas City, Missouri.
Flags were at half-staff the next day at the plant in memory of those who were lost. North American Aviation sent Paul Balfour, their Chief Test Pilot to participate in the inquiry. Otherwise, production went on as usual. This would be the first and only loss of life accident during a test flight at the plant. An editorial in the Kansas City Kansan ran on April 28, 1942 conveyed the local sentiment best:
"Whether one lives or dies in the war effort is, after all, of small moment in the larger sense. What is really important is how we live or die. And right now our job, as civilian workers, is to do our level best- nothing less will suffice."
The B-25 History Project did an extensive review of the accident photos as well as aerial photos of the area from the period. We were able to determine the approximate location of the accident site by locating currently existing buildings in the period photos. Using the grain elevators to the north of the accident site as a point of reference, we were able to identify other buildings that allowed us to determine the position of current day 14th Street and Burlington Avenue. Although the railroad tracks have been reconfigured, we were able to use their location to approximate the crash site just west of current day 14th Street and Murray.
When we looked at the circ*mstances surrounding this flight, we had several questions. This was the thirteenth test flight in 4 months, yet it occurred late in the morning on a Sunday. There were five on board, with three listed as Flight Engineers and two pilots. It is important to note here that this was just the thirteenth B-25 test flown here in Kansas City. The first, "Miss Greater Kansas City", was test flown by Paul Balfour, the Chief test pilot from the North American Aviation plant in Inglewood, California. His co-pilot and only passenger was Jim Bradley, a general foreman from the Flight Test Service department. Jim was not a pilot, but an engine control engineer. The usual crew on a test flight was three individuals; a pilot, an engine control engineer, and a radio engineer. We did note this was the second flight for this airframe.
Raymond Berrien Quick
Lost in the accident was Chief Test Pilot Raymond Berrien Quick. With more than 8,600 hours of flight time, he had only been working with North American Aviation for two months at the time of the accident. The official crash report listed his total time in a B-25 at just 30 hours. Based on the fact that this was just the 13th test flight of a B-25 in Kansas City, this would seem to be reasonable.
Born on February 2, 1898, Quick was the son of Charles Whittick Quick and Mary A. Berrien. Growing up in Hudson County, New Jersey, he had one brother, Charles Whittick Quick Jr. In October of 1917, Raymond left for the Issoudun France Aerodrome to serve his country as a pilot for the 95th Aero Squadron. The first American fighter squadron, the 95th flew on the western front of France starting in March of 1918. He served his country alongside notable men such as Quentin Roosevelt, the youngest son of Theodore Roosevelt. Raymond would return to the United States in February of 1919. By July he was flying an Aeromarine hydroplane in Belmar New Jersey off of the Shark river. He provided passenger flights, messenger service, and flight instruction. On August 1, 1919, he and passenger William Davis would be involved in an accident during landing, breaking Raymond's back. He attended multiple Universities eventually receiving a degree in mechanical engineering. In 1921, Raymond applied for a passport to travel to France to introduce to French engineers the Ingersoll Poured Concrete Construction method for building concrete houses. This would appear to be based on the design of Thomas Edison. On June 24, 1925, Raymond married his first wife Gladys Fay Swain. They would have one son Robert. By June of 1928, Raymond was back flying with the Gates Flying Circus. In 1936, Raymond was working for the Bureau of Air Commerce (predecessor of the FAA) as an Engineering Inspector and Flight Test Pilot. He was part of a team that evaluated transpacific air passenger service by Pan-American Airlines in 1936. On June 16, 1937, he was married to his second wife, Elaine Louise Richert. They would have 2 children, Virginia Mary, and Jean Elaine. Before starting work as the Chief Test Pilot, he was the Technical Adviser for the United States Aviation Underwriters. Raymond started working for North American Aviation - Kansas in February of 1942. He would have 30 hours flight time in a B-25 by the time of the accident.
Raymond is one of the three locally interred crewmembers from the flight. Being a veteran of World War I, Raymond was interred with full military Honors. His funeral was held on Thursday afternoon on April 30, 1942 at the Fort Leavenworth Chapel. He currently rests at the Fort Leavenworth National Cemetery, in Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.
Oran Basil Sims
The co-pilot for the flight was Oran Basil Sims. He would be the newest test pilot to arrive at North American Aviation. Born on December 22, 1901 in Yellville, Arkansas, Basil Sims had an interesting aviation career. He was the son of James H. Sims and Hanna E. Sims. Basil was the youngest of three, having two older sisters. Lena M. Sims was the oldest, followed by Mary Cleo Sims. His mother would pass in March of 1904, when he was just 3 years old. Soon after, in November of 1905, his father would pass. By 1910, he and his sister Lena were living with their grandparents William A. and Mary J. Sims in Marion County, Arkansas. Their sister Cleo was living with another family.
Not much is known about his younger years until he started flying. He learned to fly from the famous "Tex" LaGrone, who would later join the Fairfax test pilot crew and was well known in the Kansas City aviation community. In 1922, he joined a flying circus organized by Beeler Blevins in Kansas City. The circus did a barnstorming tour of several states. In 1931, Sims was involved in an incident while flying the trimotor plane owned by Dale Seitz. Passenger Horace Berg was struck by the propeller after landing in Bremen, Indiana. A Wyandotte county court ruled that Sims was negligent in not warning the passenger of the dangerous proximity of the propellers. Berg was awarded $7,500 in damages.
Sims was the pilot of a Waco cabin biplane owned by Thomas L. Luzier. The Special Formula Laboratories owned by Luzier would be better known for their cosmetics. It was here that he would meet Miss Dorothy Cecilia Teirney. The two would be married on January 31, 1933 at 2,000 feet in the air over Atlanta, Georgia. The couple planned a honeymoon trip in Florida. They would not have any children in their nine years of marriage.
In November of 1933, Basil piloted one of 16 planes that traveled the Midwest to celebrate the 1,461st consecutive day of flight for Dr. John D. Brock. Forty-seven passengers and pilots traveled from Kansas City, to Topeka, Nebraska, and then on to Des Moines. The annual convoy had become quite the event, and was met with much fanfare by the cities visited. Three of the aircraft were piloted by women. Twenty of the passengers were given 10- gallon hats here in Kansas City to advertise the American Royal Livestock and Horse Show and as a gesture of good will. That trip would also be flown by "Tex" LaGrone, local Kansas City Aviation pioneer.
In January of 1934, Basil Sims would fly his boss Thomas Luzier to Florida for the midwinter air races. Dr. Brock and "Tex" LaGrone would follow the next day. Basil would continue his service to Luzier in the coming years. Just prior to working for North American Aviation, Basil was a member of the ferry command stationed in Dallas. As a new test pilot for North American Aviation, this was likely a training flight for Basil as well as a test flight for the aircraft.
One of the three crewmembers interred locally, Basil's funeral was Tuesday, April 28, 1942 at the Stine & McClure Chapel. His pallbearers included; "Tex" LaGrone, F. D. Wade, Paul Thornbury, John Graham, Reginald Ingram, and B.T. Flannery. He currently rests at the Mount Moriah Cemetery in Kansas City, Missouri.
Charles Ferdinand Frederick, Jr
Also lost in the flight was Charles Ferdinand Frederick, Jr. Born on February 23, 1914 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania to Bohemian immigrants, Charles was a Radio Engineer for North American Aviation. His parents were Charles Ferdinand, Sr. and Minnie Seda. He had a twin sister Harriet Kathleen. There were at least three other sisters; Bessie, Madeline, and Flossie. There was apparently another unknown sibling who died prior to April of 1910.
Not much is known about his childhood. Through 1930, he remained with his parents in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania. He married Elois K. Consaul sometime prior to August of 1939, when their son Ronald Clyde was born in Kansas City, Missouri. By 1940, he was a radio aircraft technician and flight tester for Braniff Airlines in Kansas City, Missouri. He had 2 years of college. He was transferred to Minneapolis in August of 1941, returning to Kansas City to work for North American just 2 months prior to the accident.
Unfortunately, when Charles died, Elois was pregnant with their second child Mary Jo who was born on October 14, 1942. Elois would be remarried to Elvin H. Whisler. The two would have three more children; Mike, Buddy, and Jerry Whisler. Elvin would bring two children from his previous marriage, Kenny and Geneva Whisler.
The last of the locally interred crewmembers, services for Charles were held on Wednesday, April 29, 1942 at Newcomer Chapel. His final resting place is at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri. Of note, he was the only crewmember to have the North American Aviation logo placed on his headstone. This logo was used prior to the more familiar Kansas plant logo was widely adopted.
Joseph Raymond Peacher
Flight Engineer Joseph Raymond Peacher was also lost in the accident. He was born on April 29, 1915 in Knoxville, Maryland. His parents were Robert Garret Peacher and Ellen Hiret Artz. He was the oldest of four children. Joseph had three sisters; Nora Mae, Catherine E., and Florence Carolina.
By January of 1920, he had moved to Baltimore, Maryland. He remained there through 1930. On January 24, 1939, Joseph married Florence Louise Wilson of Albia, Iowa. The two were married in Warrentown, Virginia. At the time, Joseph was working for the Glenn L. Martin Mfg. Co. in Baltimore, Maryland where they both lived. At the time, the Martin Company was building several different aircraft with both civilian and military uses. The couple would have one daughter, Patricia Annette, born on July 18, 1941.
Joseph started work for North American Aviation – Kansas sometime in January of 1942. Shortly before the accident, Joseph resigned his job at North American Aviation and went back to work for Martin, this time in Omaha. He worked for just one day before he resigned the position because he couldn’t find a suitable place for his family to live. He returned to work at Fairfax, finding a house for his family just one day prior to the flight. It is currently unknown why Joseph and Charles, both radio experts, were on the flight.Services for Joseph were held at the A. E. Lewis funeral home in Albia, Iowa. The casket at his funeral was adorned with a large arrangement of flowers from the Flight Test department of North American Aviation. His final resting place is in the Oak View cemetery in Albia.
After his passing, his wife and daughter briefly moved back to Albia, Iowa. It was here that she would meet her second husband William Pharis. The two would move to San Diego, California where they would have one son, Harry Lee Pharis. Although it would appear Florence initially wished to be buried with her first husband, she is interred in San Diego, California.
Edward R. Krakora
The last, and youngest casualty in the accident was Edward R. Krakora. Eddie was the son of Czechoslovakian immigrants James Krakora and Mary Jasek. His parents came to the United States together and were married here. His father had been in the shoe business since 1907. He was born on August 28, 1922 in Cleveland, Ohio. He was the youngest of three children. His two older brothers were Joseph George Krakora, and James Krakora, Jr.
Eddie was interested in aviation since boyhood and attended West Technical High School. Around September of 1939, he enrolled in ground training at the Curtiss Wright Technical Institute at Glendale California.
It appears Eddie started work at North American Aviation around Christmas in 1941. He was the understudy for Elbert Cain, North American Aviation’s lead engine control engineer at the time. Days prior to the ill-fated flight, Elbert had resigned his position at North American Aviation to attend a civilian pilot instructor training program. His resignation led to the promotion of Eddie Krakora as well as secured his place on that flight.
Services for Eddie were held at Sauer’s Funeral Home in Cleveland, Ohio on Wednesday, April 29, 1942. Despite significant effort, we were unable to locate any burial location for Eddie. We were able to verify that he was cremated.
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This page represents the most current information we have. This information and memorial is a collaboration of our reasearch with the assistance of Carl Scholl. Our goal is to have the most current and correct information possible. If you have any information about this accident or crew not listed here or see anything posted in error, please contact the B-25 History Project so we may update our records.
