Date & Time:
Sep 14, 1942
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
41-24391
Flight Phase:
Takeoff (climb)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
MSN:
3076
YOM:
1942
Country:
Australia
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
1
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
The airplane named 'Hoomalimali' departed Mareeba Airport just after midnight. Half way through the takeoff roll, the right outboard engine began to misfire and quit. The takeoff speed was too high to abort so the pilot apparently applied full war power to the other engines and appeared to hauled back on the control yoke thus pitching the aircraft into a nose high attitude. The aircraft lifted off but overloaded and under powered flew for about 400 metres off the end of the bomber airstrip then crashed into a woodland and dry creek bed, bursting into flames. All nine crew members as well as one people on the ground were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Herschell R. Henson, pilot,
2nd Lt Francis Kritzmacher, copilot,
1st Lt James S. Bastion, navigator,
T/Sgt John P. Doran, bombardier,
T/Sgt John A. Samara, flight engineer,
Sgt Lawrence W. Donker, assistant flight engineer,
S/Sgt Louis N. Camp Jr., radio operator,
Cpl Robert G. Case, radio assistant,
Pvt Jack Kaynor, air gunner.
Crew:
Cpt Herschell R. Henson, pilot,
2nd Lt Francis Kritzmacher, copilot,
1st Lt James S. Bastion, navigator,
T/Sgt John P. Doran, bombardier,
T/Sgt John A. Samara, flight engineer,
Sgt Lawrence W. Donker, assistant flight engineer,
S/Sgt Louis N. Camp Jr., radio operator,
Cpl Robert G. Case, radio assistant,
Pvt Jack Kaynor, air gunner.
