Date & Time: Aug 15, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-52625
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Positioning
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Warton – Cheddington
MSN:
1020
YOM:
1943
Location:
Brown Edge
Staffordshire
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The aircraft was on its way from RAF Warton to RAF Cheddington following modification for night leaflet dropping operations. After take off from Warton, the crew could not raise the undercarriage. While attempting to resolve this problem, the aircraft started to bank to the left and lost height. The pilot stated that he assumed both problems to be associated and when he recovered the aircraft to level flight, he headed back to Warton. Shortly before landing, the flight engineer reported he had resolved the undercarriage trouble and the gear was raised so the crew set course bound for RAF Cheddington. After the undercarriage had been raised, the pilot noticed that the aircraft was still drifting to the left. Some time later, the aircraft was seen circling over the Biddulph area at low level and shortly afterwards lost height and struck a tree causing the number 3 engine to burst into flames. The aircraft crashed into a field not far away where it slewed though a 180 turn. Three crew members were injured while three others were unhurt.
Crew (406th BG):
2nd Lt Tommie F. Leftwich, pilot,
2nd Lt John A. Majdick, copilot,
2nd Lt Woodrow Klauber, navigator,
Sgt Ralph H. Sandmeyer, radio operator,
Sgt David P. Christie, flight engineer.
Passenger:
Cpl Grace M. Sharkey.
Source & photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrict42-52625.htm