Date & Time:
Feb 12, 1943 at 0526 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
42-40144
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Roswell - Roswell
MSN:
1221
YOM:
1943
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
8
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Roswell on a night practice bombing mission to Big Spring and Amarillo with a crew of nine on board. While returning to base in the early morning and cruising at an altitude of 22,000 feet, the crew encountered severe icing conditions when both port engines failed. The airplane entered a spin and disintegrated at a height of about 1,500 feet before crashing in an isolated area located 13 km northwest of Roswell. Eight crew members were killed while the flight engineer was able to bail out and was found alive.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles C. Wylie, pilot,
2nd Lt Edward L. Games, copilot,
2nd Lt James E. McMullen, navigator,
S/Sgt Robert J. Donaldson Jr., radio operator,
Sgt John J. Yauch, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Lloyd George Dickson, assistant flight engineer,
2nd Lt Richard L. Morris, bombardier,
Sgt Leslie W. Stinne, air gunner.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles C. Wylie, pilot,
2nd Lt Edward L. Games, copilot,
2nd Lt James E. McMullen, navigator,
S/Sgt Robert J. Donaldson Jr., radio operator,
Sgt John J. Yauch, assistant radio operator,
Sgt Lloyd George Dickson, assistant flight engineer,
2nd Lt Richard L. Morris, bombardier,
Sgt Leslie W. Stinne, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Failure of both port engine after the carburetor failed due to severe icing conditions.
