Date & Time:
Jan 29, 1943 at 1030 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
AM913
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Casablanca – Gibraltar – Talbenny
MSN:
4
YOM:
1940
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
1
Pax on board:
15
Pax fatalities:
10
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Casablanca on a flight to RAF Talbenny with an intermediate stop at RAF Gibraltar-North Front. While descending to the destination airport, the engine n°4 caught fire. The fire was intense, causing the engine to detach and to fall into the sea. Shortly later, the engine n°3 failed. On final approach, control was lost and the airplane crashed on a hill located near the airbase. A crew member and 10 passengers were killed while 8 other occupants were injured. The airplane was destroyed.
Crew:
F/O Kenneth Charles Robert Maskell, copilot +3
Passengers:
Br Vivian Dykes,
Br Guy Milton Stewart.
Crew:
F/O Kenneth Charles Robert Maskell, copilot +3
Passengers:
Br Vivian Dykes,
Br Guy Milton Stewart.
Probable cause:
Intense fire in the n°4 engine nacelle. Since the entire assembly parted with A/C and fell into the sea, the exact origin of the fire could not be ascertained. It was probably located between the engine back plate and the oil tank bulkhead.
