Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed West Palm Beach Airport at 0030LT on a supply flight to Georgetown, Ascension Island. While overflying the Bahamas at the assigned altitude of 9,000 feet about 90 miles east of Florida, the crew encountered an unexpected situation. The airplane became unstable and severe vibrations were noted in the tail, the stabs and the control column. In such situation, the captain decided to return to West Palm Beach but approaching Florida, the on-board situation worsened and the crew decided to abandon the aircraft and bailed out. Six crew were found alive about 10 miles east of Hollywood, Florida, while two other occupants were never found. With the autopilot engaged, the aircraft continued to the west, overflew the Gulf of Mexico for about 2,000 km and eventually came down, short of fuel, on Cerro Viejo near General Zaragoza, Nuevo León.
Crew:
1st Lt R. C. Ulmer,
1st Lt C. W. Hauth,
1st Lt R. H. Digby,
Pvt K. J. Riddle,
Pvt Stanley R. Gutowski, †
2nd Lt Bernard A. Brannon. †
Passengers:
2nd Lt Albert E. Lloyd,
2nd Lt G. P. Knutson.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87-CF Liberator Express off Topham: 18 killed

Date & Time: Feb 7, 1943 at 2100 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Operator:

Registration:

41-23903

Flight Phase:

Landing (descent or approach)

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

MSN:

698

YOM:

1941

Location:

Topham (Canton Island)

All Kiribati

Country:

Kiribati

Region:

Oceania

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a night approach to Topham Airfield (Canton Island), Kiribati, the pilot completed a last turn to reach the approach path when the airplane stalled and crashed into the sea few hundred metres offshore. 18 occupants were killed while three others were rescued. The flight was operated by a United Airlines crew on behalf of the Air Transport Command (ATC).
Passengers:
Col John Dibble,
Col Ralph F. Love,
Lt Col William Hyatt Bache,
Lt Col Powhatan Moncure Morton,
Lt Col John R. Pitman Jr.,
Maj James J. Gleason,
Maj Clark Wilson Mayne,
2nd Lt Gerald H. Levine,
M/Sgt Kendall Maxfield Taylor,
T/Sgt Felix M. Padkosky,
S/Sgt Percy J. Archdale.
W/O Alexander E. Dale,
T4c Robert Lambie.

Probable cause:

It was deemed possible that an asymmetric flap deployment was the cause of the accident.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express into the Atlantic Ocean: 26 killed

Date & Time: Jan 18, 1943 at 2300 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Operator:

Registration:

41-11708

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Accra – Georgetown – Natal

MSN:

204

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While overflying the Atlantic Ocean at night, on the leg from Georgetown (Ascension Island) to Natal, while on a flight from Accra to Natal, the airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the sea around 2300LT. SAR operations were conducted for several days but eventually suspended as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Two life vests were discovered on a Brazilian beach few days later.
Crew:
Cpt Orval Eknes, pilot,
Cpt Felton B. Lancaster, copilot,
2nd Lt Joseph F. Peoples, navigator,
M/Sgt Alvin A. Young, radio operator,
M/Sgt Charles W. McKain,
Sgt James N. Clauss.
Passengers:
1st Lt John A. Byler,
1st Lt Hugh P. Minor,
Maj Arthur Mills,
Cpl Joseph P. Braniff,
Cpl Grover K. Trees,
Lt Col Russell Reed Brunner,
Col Douglas C. MacKeachie,
F/Lt H. J. Martin,
Sgt H. V. Lamb,
Sgt H. Warman,
R/O C. B. Berry,
Cdr D. H. Deburgh,
Cpt Paul Bleecker Makepeace,
P/O P. C. Zoephel,
P/O G. A. Clegg,
F/O N. P. Drury,
P/O W. T. B. Smithson,
Sgt J. L. Bell,
Cpt W. R. Nixon,
R/O O. C. McCombie.

Probable cause:

US military Authorities reported that at the time of the accident, whose causes remain unknown, weather conditions prevailing above the center of the Atlantic Ocean were marginal due to the presence of thick clouds and heavy rain falls. It is also reported that lifeboats were found on seas nearly 100 km east of Recife on February 4, 1943, with dead bodies on board. This means that some passengers escaped the accident and managed to take refuge in dinghies. Analyses carried out on the bodies determined that the last survivor died of fatigue, hunger and thirst on February 3, 1943, two weeks after the accident. Without concrete elements, no part of the aircraft having been found, investigators were unable to determine the exact cause of the accident.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express into the Atlantic Ocean: 10 killed

Date & Time: Dec 9, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express

Operator:

Registration:

41-11707

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Accra – Georgetown – Natal – Belém

MSN:

203

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Accra, GHana, on a transatlantic flight to Belém with intermediate stops in Georgetown (Ascension Island) and Natal. On the leg from Georgetown to Natal, the four engine aircraft crashed into the Atlantic ocean, some 410 km west of the Ascension Island. SAR operations were initiated but eventually suspended after few days as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The last radio contact with the crew was recorded at 0337LT. The crew was from TWA.