Date & Time: Apr 20, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
44-6441
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Gioia del Colle – Grazzanise
MSN:
22664
YOM:
1944
Location:
Valle di Maddaloni
Campania
Country:
Italy
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
2
Crew fatalities:
2
Pax on board:
21
Pax fatalities:
20
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
22
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Gioia del Colle AFB on a crew transfer flight to Grazzanise AFB, north of Naples. For unknown reasons, the pilot was cleared to perform the flight without copilot and navigator, but with only an engineer. Approaching Caserta from the northeast, the pilot encountered marginal weather conditions with low clouds and was unable to fix his position due to his inexperience and the lack of a navigator on board. Flying in a narrow valley, he saw the terrain and elected to gain height. With full power in a steep right turn, the airplane impacted the slope of a mountain located near Valle di Maddaloni and disintegrated on impact. One passenger managed to escape the wreckage and survived while 22 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
Lt Col Robert L. Thomas,
Lt Col Jack H. Hitt,
Maj Kenneth J. McCarthy,
Cpt James C. Jones,
Cpt Howard A. Leeser,
Cpt David T. Parrish,
Cpt Seymour S. Weisberger,
1st Lt Edward H. Carmichael,
1st Lt Anna M. Fisher,
1st Lt Robert L. Francis,
1st Lt Anne G. Hemphill,
1st Lt Curtis McKee Henderson,
M/Sgt Otto P. Teaschner,
T/Sgt Woodrow P. Harrison,
Tec4 George D. Burkhardt,
Tec5 Dominick S. Caccippio,
Tec5 Lisa Zucker,
Sgt John A. Sabas,
Sgt Millicent M. Yates,
Pfc Guido J. Abruzzi,
Pfc Frederick M. Sanders.