Lawrence E. Harrison

One of Four Airmen Still Said Missing

Article taken from The Indiana Evening Gazette, May 6, 1963

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - One of four airmen in a B47 which crashed near Yellowstone National Park's Old Faithful Geyser last Friday night after a mid-air collision was still unaccounted for today.

One was found alive and in good condition Sunday.

Two bodies were found in the wreckage about 10 miles southwest of the geyser Sunday.

The Air Force identified the two as Capt. Frank G. Zumba, 32, of Elmhurst, N.Y., the pilot, and Staff Sgt. Lawrence E. Harrison, 35, on Wheelersburg, Ohio, the crew chief.

Still missing was the Navigator, Capt. Lorin B. Matthews, 30, of Bremerton, Wash.

Capt. Bruce A. Chapman, 33, the copilot from Mountain Home, Idaho, was found about 200 yards from the wreckage by a search plane. He was ejected from the bomber after it collided with a KC135 tanker during a refueling exercise at an altitude of 25,000 feet over the park.

He landed in a tree, made a shelter from his parachute and kept a fire going all the time.

"It rained and snowed and I was wet most of the time and that made it seem colder," Chapman said. "I built my camp in about eight or nine feet of snow,"

The B47 was based at Mountain Home AFB, the tanker at Larson AFB, Wash.

 

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Copilot Rescued From Crash Of Jet Bomber

Article taken from The Frederick Maryland News, May 6, 1963

YELLOWSTONE NATIONAL PARK, Wyo. - The copilot of a B47 jet bomber that crashed Friday after colliding with a refueling tanker was found unharmed Sunday, in rugged Yellowstone National Park.

Capt. Bruce A. Chapman, 33, of Mountain Home, Idaho, was plucked by helicopter from a makeshift camp in the heavily forested snow-covered mountains and flown to Idaho Falls, Idaho.
Three Others Sought

The fate of the other three crewman still was undetermined. Chapman said he believed they all got out of the crippled plane safely.

He told newsmen he apparently was the last to eject after the bomber collided with a KC135 tanker while refueling at 25,000 feet over the western portion of the sprawling park.

He said the escape hatch of the crew chief, S. Sgt. Lawrence E. Harrison, 35, of Wheelersburg, Ohio, was open when Chapman left the plane.
Assume Others Safe

"I didn't actually see him go, but I know his escape chute was open so I see no reason why he didn't get out," Chapman said.