Date & Time:
Mar 29, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-29500
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Ephrata - Ephrata
MSN:
4614
YOM:
1942
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
9
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
The bomber took off from Ephrata AFB just after midnight for a mission to complete Second Air Force Model Mission #8, which included one hour of landings, one hour of night dry bombing runs on PDI and an hour of instrument practice. The crew was instructed to check in every 30 minutes; they did three times. Later, it began to give a position report when the signal cut-off. Despite ground station attempts, the crew could not be raised again. The wreckage was found on 2 April 1943 in hilly terrain some 26 km east of Ellensburg. The airplane impacted a ridge some 15 metres below the summit. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Eryle W. Boettcher,
2nd Lt Derek Bovingdon,
2nd Lt Andrew L. Bowman,
2nd Lt Ennis Dole Hake,
S/Sgt Edward R. Miller,
S/Sgt Max E. Miller,
S/Sgt William Miller,
S/Sgt Ralph C. Wagner,
Sgt Ray W. Stitze.
Crew:
2nd Lt Eryle W. Boettcher,
2nd Lt Derek Bovingdon,
2nd Lt Andrew L. Bowman,
2nd Lt Ennis Dole Hake,
S/Sgt Edward R. Miller,
S/Sgt Max E. Miller,
S/Sgt William Miller,
S/Sgt Ralph C. Wagner,
Sgt Ray W. Stitze.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
