Crash of a Boeing B-29-60-MO Superfortress near Merkel: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 20, 1947 at 0816 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-29 Superfortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-86472
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Roswell – Borinquen
Location:
Merkel
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
20
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route from Roswell AAF to Borinquen, PR, the engine n°3 caught fire. Unable to extinguish the fire, the crew decided to bail out and abandon the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed 5 km west of Merkel. A crew, 1st Lt Irving Bloom, was killed, and 19 other occupants were injured.
Probable cause:
Engine fire in flight.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-25-DK off Borinquen

Date & Time: Sep 10, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-93731
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
13675
YOM:
1944
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed into the sea some 10 km off Borinquen. There were no casualties but aircraft sank and was lost.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-70-DL off The Bahamas: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jan 14, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
42-100679
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Morrison AFB - Borinquen
MSN:
19142
YOM:
1943
Location:
Bahamas
All Bahamas
Country:
Bahamas
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The crew was on his way from Morrison AFB (West Palm Beach, Florida) to Borinquen, Porto Rico, as the aircraft should be delivered in Algiers, Algeria. En route, while cruising off The Bahamas Islands, pilot was forced to ditch the aircraft for unknown reason. A crew member was killed while all four others were rescued.

Crash of a North American B-25D-10 Mitchell in Borinquen

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
41-30334
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
87-8499
YOM:
1941
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing and destroyed. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Martin B-26B-4 Marauder in Borinquen

Date & Time: May 15, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
41-18076
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed for unknown reasons while taking off from Borinquen Airport and destroyed. All three crew members survived.

Crash of a Martin B-26C-5-MO Marauder on Acklins Island

Date & Time: Apr 7, 1943 at 1215 LT
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
41-34720
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Ferry
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Morrison AFB - Borinquen
MSN:
4411
YOM:
1941
Location:
Acklins Island
Acklins
Country:
Bahamas
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Captain / Total flying hours:
465
Captain / Total hours on type:
200.00
Circumstances:
The crew departed Morrison AFB (Pam Beach) at 0830LT on a ferry flight to Borinquen, Porto Rico. En route, he attempted to transfer fuel from the auxiliary tanks but the process failed because the fuel transfer mechanism would not function properly. As there was insufficient fuel in the main tank, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the aircraft that entered a dive and crashed on Acklins Island, bursting into flames. All four crew members were uninjured.
Crew:
Jesse F. Hunt,
Arnold Stern,
Billy R. Williams,
Ralph E. Stevens.
Source: Eric Wiberg & Michael Stowe
Probable cause:
Failure of the fuel transfer mechanism for undetermined reasons.
Final Report:

Ground accident of a Douglas A-20C-10-DO Havoc in Borinquen

Date & Time: Mar 20, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston
Operator:
Registration:
42-33319
Flight Phase:
Taxiing
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
6781
YOM:
1941
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
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 Borinquen Airport. There were no casualties.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL into the Caribbean Sea: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
41-38688
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
Schedule:
Borinquen - Waller
MSN:
6147
YOM:
1942
Location:
Caribbean Sea
World
Country:
World
Region:
World
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Borinquen, Puerto Rico, on a flight to Waller Field, Trinidad & Tobago. It failed to arrive at destination and is believed to have crashed somewhere into the Caribbean Sea. Lost without trace.

Crash of a Lockheed A-28A Hudson in Borinquen

Date & Time: Dec 16, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
42-47284
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Airport (less than 10 km from airport)
MSN:
414-7204
YOM:
1942
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed on landing while on a delivery flight to the Royal Air Force. There were no fatalities. Should be registered FK728 by RAF.

Crash of a Lockheed A-28A-LO Hudson off Borinquen

Date & Time: Nov 8, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed L-414 Hudson
Operator:
Registration:
42-47186
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Delivery
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Lake, Sea, Ocean, River
MSN:
414-7106
YOM:
1942
Location:
Borinquen
All Puerto Rico
Country:
Puerto Rico
Region:
Central America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
On approach to Borinquen, while on a delivery flight, the twin engine airplane crashed into the sea 8 km west of the airfield. There were no fatalities.
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