United States Army Air Forces - USAAF (1941-1947) | Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. After leaving the target area, it was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Fiebing, 31 km east of Emden. Five crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Nick Stoffel, pilot,
Cpt Bob Foster, copilot,
Edson Saylor, flight engineer,
John Segrest, navigator,
T/Sgt Harold L. Langhofer, radio operator, †
2nd Lt Everet A. Coppage, bombardier, †
John Townsend, air gunner,
Sgt Matthew C. Medina, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Carl H. Quist, air gunner, †
Sgt Douglas W. Wood, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress in Beckeln: 2 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943 at 1255 LT

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-5172

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bassingbourn - Bassingbourn

MSN:

3711

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Bassingbourn on an operation to the Focke-Wulf aircraft factory at Bremen. It was shot down by the German Flak and crashed in Beckeln, 28 km southwest of Bremen. Both pilots were killed while eight other crew members parachuted to safety and became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Harold H. Beasley, pilot,
1st Lt Walter L. McCain Jr., copilot,
Jay Franklin, flight engineer,
Harry Sipe, navigator,
Mark Schaefer, radio operator,
Matt Michaels, bombardier,
Jim Branch, air gunner,
John Cagle, air gunner,
Ed Jediak, air gunner,
Everett Creason, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by the German Flak.

Ground accident of a Douglas C-47-DL in Kunming

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)

Operator:

Registration:

41-19471

Flight Phase:

Taxiing

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

MSN:

6114

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane suffered a ground accident while taxiing at Kunming-Wujiaba Airport. There were no fatalities and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Douglas A-20 Havoc in Starke

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Douglas A-20 Havoc/DB-7 Boston

Operator:

Registration:

AL353

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Location:

Starke

Florida

Country:

United States of America

Region:

North America

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Crashed in Starke following a midair collision. A crew was killed.
Crew:
Sgt Albert J. Posey.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-25-DL Flying Fortress near Grindavik

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-3128

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Bangor - Patterson Field

MSN:

8064

YOM:

1943

Location:

Grindavik

Southern Peninsula (Suðurnes)

Country:

Iceland

Region:

Europe

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Bangor, ME, on a flight to England with an intermediate stop at Patterson Field (Meeks Field) near Keflavik. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with limited visibility due to heavy snow falls. In darkness, the crew got lost and after a flight of 14 hours, the airplane ran out of fuel, forcing the crew to attempt an emergency landing. The airplane crash landed in a field located north of Grindavik and was damaged beyond repair. All crew members were rescued.

Probable cause:

Fuel exhaustion.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-5-BO Flying Fortress off Hood Point: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 17, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

41-24425

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Training

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Port Moresby - Port Moresby

MSN:

3110

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed Port Moresby-Jackson (7 Mile Drome) on a training flight with other similar airplanes. While flying in close formation over the sea, the airplane was caught by a sudden downdraft and the propellers collided with B-17F registered 41-24355, causing some damage to its tail. Following the collision, the engines caught fire then the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed into the sea off Hood Point, 48 km southeast of Port Moresby. All seven crew members were killed. The other B-17 returned to Port Moresby safely.
Crew:
Cpt Charles N. McArthur,
2nd Lt La Rue Haralson,
T/Sgt Joseph C. Whitelaw,
Sgt Robert R. Greenwood,
Sgt George N. Neuman,
Pvt William N. Phillips,
Pvt Brony C. Wysocki.

Probable cause:

In-flight collision with another airplane after being caught by a sudden downdraft.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-20-CO Liberator off Ushant: 10 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1943 at 1400 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

41-24122

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hardwick - Hardwick

MSN:

917

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

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Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hardwick on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Ushant. All 10 crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Beattie H. Fleenor, pilot,
1st Lt James R. Hardin, copilot,
T/Sgt Arch M. Crump, flight engineer,
1st Lt James J. Leary, navigator,
S/Sgt Richard L. Guess, radio operator,
1st Lt George A. Pinner, bombardier,
S/Sgt Stephen L. Hegedus, air gunner,
S/Sgt T. J. Kilmer, air gunner,
S/Sgt Ronald L. Nelson, air gunner,
S/Sgt James V. Roberts, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-1-CO Liberator off Ushant: 7 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1943 at 1328 LT

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

41-23732

Flight Phase:

Flight

Flight Type:

Bombing

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Hardwick - Hardwick

MSN:

527

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

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Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hardwick on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed into the sea off Ushant. Seven crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Frank Reece Hodges, pilot,
1st Lt Orval Hartwig Mickelson, copilot,
T/Sgt James J. Barnes, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Forrest Sterling Hughes, radio operator,
1st Lt Kenneth D. Baughman, navigator, †
1st Lt Robert D. Grant, bombardier, †
Sgt Donald F. Bonnom, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Paul Kirken, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Paul F. Logan, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Walter C. Race, air gunner. †

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress near Languidic: 5 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

Operator:

Registration:

42-5220

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Chelvestson - Chelveston

MSN:

3759

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Chelveston on an operation to the power station supplying the naval installations in Lorient. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed near Languidic. Five crew members were killed and five others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Lawrence L. Leach Jr., pilot, †
1st Lt Homer Paul Andersen, copilot,
T/Sgt David M. Bogdan, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Joseph W. Terrell, radio operator,
2nd Lt Voyle E. Spence, navigator,
2nd Lt Donald A. Worsley, bombardier,
S/Sgt Floyd M. Williamson, air gunner, †
S/Sgt John Toth Jr., air gunner, †
S/Sgt Jimmie H. Smith, air gunner, †
S/Sgt LeRoy Francis Sykes, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-15-CO Liberator in Saint-Renan: 3 killed

Date & Time: Apr 16, 1943

Type of aircraft:

Consolidated B-24 Liberator

Operator:

Registration:

41-23874

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Hardwick - Hardwick

MSN:

669

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed RAF Hardwick on an operation to Brest. Approaching the target area, it was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Saint-Renan, 11,5 km northwest of Brest. Three crew members were killed and eight others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt Franklin David Lown Jr., pilot,
2nd Lt Robert Henry Hudspeth, copilot,
T/Sgt Herbert B. Daly, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Harold Secor, radio operator,
2nd Lt Orval Dwayne Huff, navigator,
2nd Lt Thaddeus I. Hawkins Jr., bombardier, †
1st Lt Harold J. Tannenbaum, photographer, †
Sgt James Stram Marsh, air gunner,
S/Sgt Arthur Lee Crandall, air gunner,
S/Sgt Cleiborn Usry Booker, air gunner,
S/Sgt Thomas Willard Hughes, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a German fighter.

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