Aircraft Wrecks in the Mountains and Deserts of the American West

P-39
February 6, 1943

On the morning of February 6, 1943, Capt. Charles C. Johnson III, the commanding officer of the 356th Fighter Squadron (354th Fighter Group), took off on a test flight in  Bell P-39N Airacobra #42-4468 at Tonopah Army Air Field, Nevada.  While performing aerobatic maneuvers, he was unable to recover from a high speed dive due to insufficient altitude.  His aircraft struck the ground in a vertical attitude several miles north of the base and he was killed instantly.  Capt. Johnson was the recipient of the Purple Heart and Silver Star for his combat performance in the Pacific Theater during World War II.  Site visited 11/13/14.  Special thanks to Allen Metscher and Dave Mihalik for help with locating this site.