Date & Time:
Jan 22, 1943 at 1650 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
41-24019
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Chivenor - Chivenor
MSN:
814
YOM:
1942
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
10
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
10
Circumstances:
Following a maritime patrol flight (antisubmarine mission), the airplane was returning to base at RAF Chivenor when the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility. The crew contacted ATC to obtain assistance but the frequency used was not the correct one. Approaching the coast at a very low altitude, the airplane collided with the shoreline cliff located about 3 km east of Hartland Point. The airplane disintegrated on impact and all 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt George Oscar Broussard Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Leonard L. Deshant, copilot,
T/Sgt Grant L. Craig, flight engineer,
T/Sgt George Malham Shaheen, assistant flight engineer,
2nd Lt Robert Lucian Shedden, navigator,
T/Sgt Harold Kaplan, radio operator,
T/Sgt Frank Kozjak Jr., assistant radio operator,
S/Sgt Louis A. Nagy, radar operator,
2nd Lt Elliot Ernest Stone, bombardier,
T/Sgt Bernard F. Hickman, air gunner.
Crew:
2nd Lt George Oscar Broussard Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Leonard L. Deshant, copilot,
T/Sgt Grant L. Craig, flight engineer,
T/Sgt George Malham Shaheen, assistant flight engineer,
2nd Lt Robert Lucian Shedden, navigator,
T/Sgt Harold Kaplan, radio operator,
T/Sgt Frank Kozjak Jr., assistant radio operator,
S/Sgt Louis A. Nagy, radar operator,
2nd Lt Elliot Ernest Stone, bombardier,
T/Sgt Bernard F. Hickman, air gunner.
Probable cause:
In the judgment of the American Unit, this loss was quite unnecessary, and could have been avoided either by the pilot who had adequate fuel, remaining off the coast until he was able to get ground assistance, or "if he was going on instruments, to proceed to do so at a safe altitude," or by "the exercise of better judgment by the officer in charge of the 19 Group radio station." With some feeling, the loss report observed: "he aircraft was obviously in difficulty, consequently it is believed that the 19 Group Station should not have quibbled about a technicality." The report also noted that "strong verbal representation has been made to the AOC, 19 Group (that it was essential) that in an emergency, all possible assistance will not be withheld because of a technicality." The radio operator had requested homing assistance from the 19 Group Controller seven times in the space of 38 minutes, four times prefaced immediate or priority.
