Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

An undercarriage collapsed on landing. The aircraft slid on runway before coming to rest. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

While flying in marginal weather conditions, the four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Austrian Alps, in Tyrol. The wreckage was found about 20 miles northeast of Campo Tures and few km north of Hinterbichl. All 20 occupants were killed.
Crew:
T/S William H. Arroyo,
T/S Milton A. Jackson,
Cpt Francis S. J. Sargeant
Cpl Herman O. Vold,
1st Lt Alex A. Williams Jr.

The aircraft was on its way from RAF Ridgewell to Belfast-Nutts Corner Airport with a crew of five and 26 US soldiers on a 3-day leave. While cruising at an altitude of 2,000 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt North Barrule located 2 miles south of Ramsey. The wreckage was found meters from the summit and all 31 occupants were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Charles Earl Ackerman,
Cpl Earl G. Ammerman,
Cpl Edward G. Bailey,
Pvt Andrew R. Barbour,
1st Lt John P. Fedak,
Cpl Thomas P. Flaherty,
T/Sgt William E. Geist,
M/Sgt Edward Z. Gelman,
S/Sgt Ralph L. Gibbs,
T/Sgt Joseph L. Gray,
Cpl Herbert C. Gupton Jr.,
T/Sgt Wesley M. Hagen,
Sgt Irwin R. Hargraves,
1st Lt Wayne W. Hart,
1st Lt James M. Hinkle,
F/O Edwin A. Hutcheson Jr.,
Sgt Michael J. Kakos Jr.,
T/Sgt David H. Lindon,
S/Sgt Wayne K. Manes,
Sgt Jose M. Martinez,
S/Sgt Alfred M. Mata,
1st Lt Martin M. Matyas,
Cpl Leslie H. Maxwell Jr.,
Tec Walter A. McCullough,
1st Lt Lawrence E. McGhehey,
Tec Andrew Piter Jr.,
Pfc Angelo Quagliariello,
Cpl Merle L. Ramsowr,
T/Sgt Joseph W. Sullivan.

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.

During a test flight, control was lost and the aircraft crashed in Meltham Moor, near Meltham. The aircraft was destroyed and all five crew members were injured.

The aircraft was on a local CFR flight circling the field at approximately 800 feet altitude with gear down. At a point in the traffic pattern 2 miles south of the field, and while turning downward, the B-17 collided with a C-47 (registered 43-48506) which had just taken off on local flight. The B-17 was slightly higher and behind the C-47 as it approached the C-47 from the port quarter astern. The B-17 was seen to make a sudden maneuver to avoid collision but too late to avoid the C-47. The C-47 was hit by the number 4 engine of the B-17 just forward of the tail fairing on the top of the fuselage resulting in complete loss of the tail empennage of the C-47. The C-47 then went into an uncontrolled spin and crashed about 2,5 miles south of the field, resulting in death of the two occupants. The tail unit came down in the same vicinity in a comparatively intact condition with vertical and horizontal control surfaces still in place. The left wing of the C-47 was severely crumpled by the impact. The B-17 was seen to make a violent maneuver to avoid collision but too late to avoid hitting the C-47. The B-17 then evidently stalled cut due to loss of flying speed resulting either from the maneuver to avoid collision or as a result of the impact, or a combination of both. The B-17 was seen to lower the left wing and then plunge straight down without spinning. It crashed into the ground at an estimated angle of 80° from horizontal. The collision occurred at an estimated height of 800 feet above the ground.
Crew in B-17:
Cpt Walter P. Hottenstein,
2nd Lt Joseph Cotterman,
Pvt James C. Shelton,
Pfc Eron J. Windham.

In flight, the aircraft collided with another USAAF B-17 registered 43-38273 and also carrying a crew of nine. Both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Ostend. All 18 crew members on both aircraft were killed. They were engaged in a bombing mission to Ulm, Germany.
Crew (42-38035):
1st Lt Charles Joseph Armbruster,
2nd Lt Robert W. Davis,
Sgt Arthur W. Herold,
Sgt Joe F. Jones,
Sgt Robert A. Mason,
S/Sgt Allan M. Saarnio,
Sgt Charles J. Slavin,
S/Sgt John R. Stringi,
2nd Lt Howard M. Tripp Jr.

Crew (43-38273):
T/Sgt Charles L. Abney Jr.,
2nd Lt George C. Burger,
S/Sgt Harry E. Clabaugh,
S/Sgt James W. Hendon Jr.,
2nd Lt Robert E. Keenan,
S/Sgt Stanley J. Lejkowski,
1st Lt Alexander Rusecky,
T/Sgt Vincent L. Verderame,
S/Sgt Thomas K. Welch.

In flight, the aircraft collided with another USAAF B-17 registered 42-38035 and also carrying a crew of nine. Both aircraft went out of control, dove into the ground and crashed in a field near Ostend. All 18 crew members on both aircraft were killed. They were engaged in a bombing mission to Ulm, Germany.
Crew (43-38273):
T/Sgt Charles L. Abney Jr.,
2nd Lt George C. Burger,
S/Sgt Harry E. Clabaugh,
S/Sgt James W. Hendon Jr.,
2nd Lt Robert E. Keenan,
S/Sgt Stanley J. Lejkowski,
1st Lt Alexander Rusecky,
T/Sgt Vincent L. Verderame,
S/Sgt Thomas K. Welch.

Crew (42-38035):
1st Lt Charles Joseph Armbruster,
2nd Lt Robert W. Davis,
Sgt Arthur W. Herold,
Sgt Joe F. Jones,
Sgt Robert A. Mason,
S/Sgt Allan M. Saarnio,
Sgt Charles J. Slavin,
S/Sgt John R. Stringi,
2nd Lt Howard M. Tripp Jr.

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over an oil refinery located in Lützkendorf. Enroute, while approaching Eisenberg, the B-17 registered 43-39149 collided with a second USAAF B-17 registered 42-31060 and also carrying a crew of 9. The first B-17 went out of control, dove into the ground and crash in the city of Eisenberg. Eight crew members were killed and ten people on the ground as well. Only one crew member survived. The second B-17 flew to the east over 400 km and then crashed in a field in Jaraczewo, Poland. Five crew were killed and four others were injured.
Crew of 42-31060:
Sgt Marion L. Canfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Floyd C. Doherty Jr., air gunner, †
F/O Odus C. Litzelfelner, copilot, †
1st Lt Alfred K. Nemer, pilot, †
Sgt Peter M. Volpini, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Harry H. Schultz, navigator,
T/Sgt Howard H. Ganson,
Sgt Floyd S. Bohrer, air gunner,
Sgt Paul L. Kerr, air gunner.

Crew of 43-39149:
2nd Lt Robert J. Barrat, pilot, †
F/O Shirl P. Best, navigator, †
2nd Lt Dean Harvey, copilot, †
S/Sgt William T. Karp, †
S/Sgt Matthew Lazarowicz, radio operator, †
Sgt Louis N. Linhart, air gunner, †
Sgt Herbert D. Link, air gunner, †
Sgt George H. Emerson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Raymond F. Reiss, flight engineer. †

The crew was engaged in a bombing mission over an oil refinery located in Lützkendorf. Enroute, while approaching Eisenberg, the B-17 registered 43-39149 collided with a second USAAF B-17 registered 42-31060 and also carrying a crew of 9. The first B-17 went out of control, dove into the ground and crash in the city of Eisenberg. Eight crew members were killed and ten people on the ground as well. Only one crew member survived. The second B-17 flew to the east over 400 km and then crashed in a field in Jaraczewo, Poland. Five crew were killed and four others were injured.
Crew of 43-39149:
2nd Lt Robert J. Barrat, pilot, †
F/O Shirl P. Best, navigator, †
2nd Lt Dean Harvey, copilot, †
S/Sgt William T. Karp, †
S/Sgt Matthew Lazarowicz, radio operator, †
Sgt Louis N. Linhart, air gunner, †
Sgt Herbert D. Link, air gunner, †
Sgt George H. Emerson, air gunner,
S/Sgt Raymond F. Reiss, flight engineer. †

Crew of 42-31060:
Sgt Marion L. Canfield, air gunner, †
Sgt Floyd C. Doherty Jr., air gunner, †
F/O Odus C. Litzelfelner, copilot, †
1st Lt Alfred K. Nemer, pilot, †
Sgt Peter M. Volpini, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Harry H. Schultz, navigator,
T/Sgt Howard H. Ganson,
Sgt Floyd S. Bohrer, air gunner,
Sgt Paul L. Kerr, air gunner.