Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-35-CO Liberator near Cannon AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1943 at 0410 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-40147
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Cannon - Cannon
MSN:
1224
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a cross country navigational exercise out from Cannon AFB, Clovis, NM. In the early morning, while returning to base, the pilot missed his first attempt to enter the landing pattern. As he was making an S-turn to get back into the lading pattern, the instructor pilot, who was in the copilot's seat, called out the airspeed but failed to notice the loss of altitude when the airplane impacted ground and crashed 8 km northeast of the airbase. Five crew members were killed and six others were injured.
Crew:
1st Lt Jack R. Moss, pilot,
2nd Lt Merle K. Clark, bombardier,
2nd Lt Stephen T. Mezei, navigator,
Sgt Bruce H. Davis Jr., assistant radio operator,
Sgt Maxwell Wolfe, air gunner +6.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain following a wrong approach configuration on part of the pilot-in-command.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator at Sewart AFB

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-11759
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
255
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
In unclear circumstances, the Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator registered 41-11759 collided with a second USAAF B-24 registered 41-1132 at Sewart AFB, Smyrna, TN. The collision seems to have occurred while both airplanes were taking off. Both airplanes were destroyed and there were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator at Sewart AFB

Date & Time: Mar 17, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-1132
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
72
YOM:
1941
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
In unclear circumstances, the Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator registered 41-1132 collided with a second USAAF B-24 registered 41-11759 at Sewart AFB, Smyrna, TN. The collision seems to have occurred while both airplanes were taking off. Both airplanes were destroyed and there were no fatalities.

Ground accident of a Consolidated B-24E-1-FO Liberator at Holloman AFB

Date & Time: Mar 15, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-6986
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
10
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident while taxiing at Holloman AFB. Damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24A-CO Liberator near Davis-Monthan AFB: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1943 at 1750 LT
Operator:
Registration:
40-2368
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Davis-Monthan - Davis-Monthan
MSN:
26
YOM:
1940
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew departed Davis-Monthan AFB in the afternoon on a bombing exercise. After takeoff, the airplane reached the altitude of 7,500 feet then proceeded to the target area. Due to clouds over the zone, the crew decided to return and to continue the bombing exercise in the vicinity of the airbase. Approaching the airfield, both left engine stopped. The pilot attempted to reach the base but the airplane stalled and crashed 5 km south of the airfield. Eight crew members were killed and two others were seriously injured.
Crew:
2nd Lt Clinton L. Lee, pilot,
2nd Lt Jay R. Thompson, copilot,
S/Sgt Charles E. Bennewitz, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Fredie C. Eifert, assistant flight engineer,
S/Sgt Theodore A. Rusnack, radio operator,
S/Sgt Frank D. Snell, radio operator,
2nd Lt Walter T. Chase, bombardier,
S/Sgt Robert E. Kamp, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Damaged ignition switches shorted, causing both left engines to stop.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-35-CO Liberator at Langley AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 11, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
42-40199
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
MSN:
1276
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crashed for unknown reasons while taking off from Langley AFB. Five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Maj Paul M. Person,
1st Lt Milton R. Montgomery,
2nd Lt Paul A. Kirk,
Sgt Edward W. May,
Cpl Joseph M. Keyes.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-15-CO Liberator near Sierville: 10 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 1405 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-23988
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Shipdham - Shipdham
MSN:
783
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Shipdham on an operation to the railway marshalling yards in Sotteville. Approaching Rouen, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed east of Sierville. Ten crew members were killed and the navigator parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert W. Blaine, pilot, †
2nd Lt Lawrence J. Roetto, copilot, †
T/Sgt George L. Nored, flight engineer, †
1st Lt Leo O. Frazier, navigator,
T/Sgt Oscar Kreissig, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Thomas C. Mayen, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Norman A. Breniser, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Frank N. Doria,air gunner, †
S/Sgt Edward Sufka, air gunner, †
Sgt Benjamin F. White, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Don J. Williams, air gunner. †
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-5-CO Liberator in Villers-Écalles: 8 killed

Date & Time: Mar 8, 1943 at 1402 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-23784
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Shipdham - Shipdham
MSN:
579
YOM:
1942
Country:
Region:
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed RAF Shipdham on an operation to the railway marshalling yards of Soteville-lès-Rouen. It was shot down by a German fighter and all 10 crew members abandoned the airplane. Three of them parachuted to safety and became PoW while seven others were killed by enemy fire while descending to the ground.
Crew:
Cpt Clyde E. Price, pilot, †
2nd Lt Robert E. Forrest, copilot, †
T/Sgt Dalton R. Snell, flight engineer, †
S/Sgt Roy E. Gosline, assistant flight engineer, †
1st Lt Jacob A. Augenstene Jr., navigator, †
1st Lt Donald E. Jester, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Morton P. Gross, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Lewis J. Fleshman, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Deane J. Devars, air gunner,
S/Sgt Kenneth Lynn Erhard, air gunner,
S/Sgt Iris C. Wyer, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator III in Manchester

Date & Time: Mar 7, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
FK218
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
52
YOM:
1941
Region:
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
After landing at Manchester-Ringway Airport, the aircraft was unable to stop within the remaining distance, overran and came to rest in a field. There were no casualties and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-40-CO Liberator near Lytle Creek: 5 killed

Date & Time: Mar 5, 1943 at 0858 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-40242
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Site:
Schedule:
March - March
MSN:
1319
YOM:
1943
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed March AFB on a routine training exercise. En route, it suffered a catastrophe structural failure, lost its tail section and crashed in a mountainous area located near Lytle Creek. All five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Marvin J. Frum, pilot,
2nd Lt Marshall E. Oberg, copilot,
T/Sgt Merle F. Draper, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Fred Bedford, radio operator,
S/Sgt Russell P. Boyd, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Catastrophic structural failure in flight. Investigators speculated that the pilots may have put the aircraft through maneuvers that exceeded the structural limitations of the airframe, causing the tail section to separate and then the port wing to fail between the n°1 and n°2 engines.