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Aircraft History Built by Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas. Constructor Number 8431. Delivered to the U.S. Army Air Force (USAAF) as a C-45F Expeditor serial number 44-87172. Assigned to the U.S. Navy (USN) as JRB-4 Expeditor bureau number 44632. Mission History On November 11, 1945 took off NAS Quonset Point on a flight bound for Caldwell Airfield in New Jersey. Aboard were a total of six crew and passengers including Commodore Dixie Kiefer. During the flight, this aircraft crashed onto Mount Beacon (Mt. Beacon) near Fishkill, New York killing everyone aboard in the crash. Wreckage This aircraft impacted into a forested area at an elevation of roughly 1,100' on the western side of the north peak on Mount Beacon (Mt. Beacon). After the crash, authorities reached the site including the New York State Police. The next day, Associated Press (AP) reporter Harry Harris visited the crash site and photographed the site. Recovery of Remains After the crash, the remains of the crew and passengers were badly burned. Kiefer was identified by the cast on his arm and his identification tags. Memorial On November 16, 1945 Kiefer was buried at Arlington National Cemetery at section 3, site 4072-C. References USAF Serial Number Search Results - C-45F Expeditor serial number 44-87171 Navy Serial Number Search Results - JRB-4 Expeditor 44632 Poughkeepsie Journal "War Hero, Five Other Killed As Navy Plane Hits Mt. Beacon" November 12, 1945 Naval History and Heritage Command - Dixie Kiefer Poughkeepsie Journal "VIDEO: 70 years ago, a fiery plane crash on Mt. Beacon" November 12, 2015 Daily News "New book tells story of WWII hero killed in NY plane crash July 14, 2017" by Associated Press via Wayback Machine July 14, 2017 The True Story of World War II Hero "Captain Dixie" (2017) by Don Keith and David Rocco USNA Shipmate "Indestructible Dixie Kiefer" by Capt David Poyer '71, USNR (Ret.) June 2019 "Dixie had a rendezvous with fate. In November 1945, he flew to Caldwell, NJ, in a Beechcraft Expeditor with several other servicemen to attend the Army-Notre Dame football game at Yankee Stadium. They left on their return flight on the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month (then Armistice Day, now Veterans Day). During the return flight, the plane crashed, 1,100 feet up the western flank of the north peak of Mt. Beacon, near the town of Fishkill, NY. None of the six men aboard survived. The bodies were so badly burned that Kiefer was identified by the cast on his arm and his ID tags." FindAGrave - Como Dixie Kiefer (photos, grave photo) ANC Explorer - Dixie Kiefer (grave photo) Thanks to Craig Fuller and David Rocco for additional information Contribute
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