Date & Time:
Mar 5, 1943 at 0145 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-29586
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Blythe - Blythe
MSN:
4700
YOM:
1942
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
5
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Blythe at 1920LT on March 4 on a routine instrument training flight. En route, the crew encountered poor weather with snow, freezing rain, low clouds and icing conditions. In such conditions, the pilot became lost, and without navigator on board, was unable to determine his correct position. While cruising at an altitude of 8,000 feet, the airplane impacted the east slope of Mt Elden located 7,5 km northeast of Flagstaff. It disintegrated on impact and all five crew members were killed.
Crew:
F/O Keitt O. Martin Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Ralph E. Majors, copilot,
2nd Lt Frederick C. Ruhl, copilot,
T/Sgt Walter H. Ehlers, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Robert E. Sanford, radio operator.
Crew:
F/O Keitt O. Martin Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Ralph E. Majors, copilot,
2nd Lt Frederick C. Ruhl, copilot,
T/Sgt Walter H. Ehlers, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Robert E. Sanford, radio operator.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.
