Crash of a Douglas C-54A-DO Skymaster on Mt Fort: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jun 20, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-54 Skymaster
Operator:
Registration:
41-37277
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Cargo
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Stephenville - Washington DC
MSN:
3067
YOM:
1943
Location:
Millinocket
Maine
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
1
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
While cruising at an altitude of 3,900 feet, the four engine aircraft hit the east slope of Mt Fort located some 35 miles northwest of Millinocket, Maine. The passenger and all seven crew members were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47-DL near Guilin: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 18, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
71
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Scheduled Revenue Flight
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Kunming – Chongqing
MSN:
9013
YOM:
1943
Location:
Guilin
Guangxi
Country:
China
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
11
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
En route to Chongqing, the captain was informed that the destination airport was closed to traffic due to poor weather conditions. He decided to divert to Guilin Airport but this one was closed as well as all others in the region. The crew flew over the mountainous region for several hours to burn fuel. Eventually, when the fuel reserve was low, the captain decided to attempt an emergency landing on a mountain slope. He placed the aircraft in a slightly nose up position and hit the mountain at a speed of 80 knots. The aircraft slid for several yards before coming to rest. A passenger, a US Marine Officer, was killed, while all 13 other occupants were unhurt.

Crash of a Consolidated PBY-5A Catalina near the Cap de Trois Fourches: 9 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated PBY Catalina
Operator:
Registration:
JX258
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Location:
Cap de Trois Fourches
Oriental
Country:
Morocco
Region:
Africa
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
While on a maritime patrol flight along the Moroccan coast, the seaplane hit a mountain slope located near the Cap de Trois Fourches, north of the Spanish enclave of Melilla. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew (202nd Squadron):
Sgt Ronald Vivian Allen,
F/L Douglas Boyle,
F/O Robert William Clark-Hall,
F/O Harry Roy Keen,
F/S Charles Ernest Lang,
F/S William James McDonald,
F/S Edward George McNeal,
Sgt Robert William Pole,
Sgt Samuel Lester Squire.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL near Shin Bway Yang: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 15, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15371
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tingkawk Sakan - Tingkawk Sakan
MSN:
19837
YOM:
1944
Location:
Shin Bway Yang
Kachin State
Country:
Myanmar
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew left Tingkawk Sakan Airfield on a supply mission to Sookerating, State of Assam, India. En route, he encountered poor weather conditions with heavy rain falls. In low visibility, the aircraft hit a hill located some 10 km east of Shin Bway Yang, north Burma. All four crew members were killed.

Crash of a Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express near Tezpur: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 14, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated C-87 Liberator Express
Operator:
Registration:
43-30556
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Tezpur – Kunming
MSN:
36
Location:
Tezpur
Assam
Country:
India
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The aircraft was lost without trace (maybe in the region of Tezpur) while performing a flight from Tezpur to Kunming. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Moel Hebog: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 13, 1944 at 1200 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
EG472
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Llandwrog - Llandwrog
Location:
Beddgelert
Gwynedd
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a night training exercise from the RAF Llandwrog (Caernarfon). En route, while flying at an altitude of 6,000 feet in poor visibility, the crew encountered turbulence and obtained them permission to descend when the twin engine aircraft hit the north slope of Mt Moel Hebog located southwest of Beddgelert. A crew member was injured while all four other occupants were killed.
Crew (9th OAFU):
F/O Ray Alexander Dawson, pilot, †
P/O John Edgar Gunning, navigator, †
Sgt John Frederick Potts, wireless operator and air gunner, †
Sgt Harry Howard, wireless operator,
P/O Donald Archibald McFadyen, air bomber. †

Crash of a Douglas R4D-5 on Guadalcanal Island: 15 killed

Date & Time: Jun 12, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas DC-3
Operator:
Registration:
17180
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
12778
YOM:
1944
Location:
Guadalcanal Island
All Solomon Islands
Country:
Solomon Islands
Region:
Oceania
Crew on board:
3
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
12
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
15
Circumstances:
While cruising over the Guadalcanal Island, the aircraft hit a mountain slope and crashed. All 15 occupants were killed.

Crash of a Douglas C-47A-80-DL near Hopin: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Douglas C-47 Skytrain (DC-3)
Operator:
Registration:
43-15403
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Supply
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Dinjan - Dinjan
MSN:
19869
YOM:
1944
Location:
Hopin
Kachin State
Country:
Myanmar
Region:
Asia
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The twin engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located some 40 km northwest of Hopin, Myanmar, while on a supply mission. Five crew members were killed while the sixth was injured.

Crash of a Noorduyn UC-64A Norseman in Gunnislake: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 11, 1944
Type of aircraft:
Noorduyn Norseman
Operator:
Registration:
43-5365
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
MSN:
356
YOM:
1944
Location:
Gunnislake
Cornwall
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
1
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
The pilot was performing a liaison flight when the aircraft hit a hill near Gunnislake. The pilot was killed.

Crash of an Avro 652 Anson I on Mt Mynydd Perfedd: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 8, 1944 at 0400 LT
Type of aircraft:
Avro 652 Anson
Operator:
Registration:
LT116
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Llandwrog - Llandwrog
Location:
Mt Mynydd Perfedd
Gwynedd
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
4
Circumstances:
The crew was performing a flight from the RAF Llandwrog (Caernarfon Airport) and while cruising by night over the Snowdonia mountains, the twin engine aircraft hit the slope of Mt Mynydd Perfedd (812 meters high). The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all four occupants were killed.
Crew (9th AFU):
Sgt John George Shepherd, pilot,
Sgt Edwin John Keightley, wireless operator and air gunner,
LAC John Chrystal, navigator,
LAC John Thomas Key, navigator.
Source and photos:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/wales/walesperfedd.htm
Probable cause:
The accident was caused by a navigation error on part of the pilot.
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