Long story short..

After the load masters jumped, Slocum went back and jettisoned/secured everything he could. Ed Dugan continued to fly the airplane and ordered Slocum to jump. They were unable to feather the engine and they were unable to start the jet pack on the roof as the fuel supply to the jet came off the engine that was on fire. By this time the fire was so severe that the tail boom was starting to separate on the fire side.

Jim Slocum got out at about 300' AGL. One of the load masters told me that he watched Jim jump and that his chute had barely inflated and he got about a half swing before he hit the ground. Ed had tried to tie off the yoke and depart the aircraft several times but even with full rudder trim and the yoke tied over every time he let go of the controls the airplane started to roll over.

Ed was able to land gear up on a sand bar in a river and survived with no or minor injuries.

I did not know Jim or Ed but I knew and worked with all three jumpers who were working as load masters that day. I remember Tony Pasco telling me that he knew it was time to jump when all the windows on the burning side melted out and the fire started coming inside the fuselage.

And that is the very shortened story of the infamous Ak Smokejumper C-119 in slow flight.

The river was either the Kuskokwim or the koukuk. I will find out. The airplane was owned and operated by Hawkins and Powers out of Greybull Wyoming.

Here is the whole story as told by the captain Ed Dugan

http://www.ruudleeuw.com/c119-dugan_story.htm