DAYTON, Ohio— On September 4, 1948, an Airman, assigned to the 162nd Fighter Squadron, was flying a routine navigational training mission above Dayton, Ohio when disaster struck. At 10:52 am, Lt. Richard Dale Christman’s F-51’s left wing broke off of the aircraft at several thousand feet in the air. Twenty five seconds later, the F-51 crashed and 27-year-old Christman died in the crash. Christman was buried at Dayton Memorial Park Cemetery.
