Date & Time: Oct 18, 1944 at 1540 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-50347
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Greencastle - Tibenham
MSN:
778
Location:
Birkenhead
Merseyside
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
19
Pax fatalities:
19
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
24
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with heavy rain falls and turbulence. The four engine bomber exploded in mid-air and dove into the ground before crashing in a field in a huge explosion. All 24 occupants were killed.
Crew:
William Driscoll,
Harold W. Olsen,
J. P. Hennessy,
Roy W. Sechler,
Reginald H. Gehman.
Passengers:
Vincent P. Hamilton,
William F. Price,
Richard M. Blake,
Edward F. Brick,
George J. Leary,
Roland F. Mosher,
Stephen J. Nagy,
Clesen H. Tenney,
Loran A. Umpleby,
Ralph G. Wills,
Robert E. Boyd,
James E. Patterson,
Robert L. Marshall,
Flyod K. Relyea,
Joseph L. Arrigotti,
Albert Engasser,
Frederick L. Mootz,
George S. Moss,
Clarence K. Smith.
Probable cause:
At the time of the accident, the cloud base was at 1,000 feet with an estimated horizontal visibility up to 7 miles. Investigations were unable to determine the exact cause of the explosion that cause the in flight disintegration of the aircraft. Furthermore, the assumption that the aircraft would have suffered a structural failure was not ruled out. Finally, investigations have been able to determine that no mechanical failure and no fire occurred prior to the final impact.