Crash of a Boeing B-17F-27-BO Flying Fortress near Wakeeney

Date & Time: May 7, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-24631
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
3316
YOM:
1942
Location:
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route to Glasgow, Montana, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low overcast and poor visibility due to rain falls. Due to a fuel exhaustion, five crew members abandoned the airplane and bailed out. The pilots attempted an emergency landing when the airplane crashed 13 km southwest of Wakeeney. The airplane was damaged beyond repair but did not burn. Both pilots were injured and rescued.
Probable cause:
Fuel exhaustion after radio static prevented the crew from communicating and using navigation aids to locate their position.

Crash of a Lockheed C-60A-1-LO LodeStar in Kansas City

Date & Time: Apr 26, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
42-55852
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
2225
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Suffered a ground accident at Kansas City Airport. There were no fatalities and the airplane was damaged beyond repair.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-10-BH Wichita in Kansas City

Date & Time: Feb 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Operator:
Registration:
41-26704
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
1979
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed upon landing and damaged beyond repair. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-60-BO Flying Fortress in Hutchinson: 9 killed

Date & Time: Feb 19, 1943 at 0435 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-29568
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Orlando - Kearney
MSN:
4682
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Following a navigational training exercise, the airplane departed Orlando in the evening of February 18 to return to base at Kearney, Nebraska. En route, weather conditions were poor and over Kansas, while low on fuel, the crew decided to divert to Smoky Hill AFB, Salina. Due to limited visibility, the crew failed to realize he was approaching Hutchinson Airport which is located 90 km south southwest of Salina. In a zero visibility approach, the airplane impacted the ground and crashed, killing the entire crew.
Crew:
1st Lt Ned D. Knaphus , pilot,
2nd Lt Bruce S. Upson, copilot,
T/Sgt Earl C. Woollenweber, flight engineer,
2nd Lt Carl T. Miller, navigator,
T/Sgt Bernard Budimirovich, radio operator,
2nd Lt Raymond L. Zeiter Jr., bombardier,
S/Sgt Walter E. Bybee, air gunner,
S/Sgt Max W. McArthur, air gunner,
Pvt James A. Farrell, air gunner.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-35-BO Flying Fortress near Bogue: 6 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 1720 LT
Operator:
Registration:
42-5105
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Casper - Tinker
MSN:
3644
YOM:
1942
Location:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
En route from Casper to Tinker AFB and while passing over Kansas, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions. The airplane was seen flying out the cloud layer then entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a huge explosion in an open field near Bogue. All six occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Paul M. Capaccio, pilot,
F/O Latteimer Stewart, copilot,
1st Lt Jacob M. Madsen Jr., navigator,
T/Sgt. Thaddeus I. Donlavage, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Frank Culver, radio operator.
M/Sgt H. M. Bloch.
Probable cause:
The airplane was observed about 1720 CWT, traveling northwest. It descended from a low overcast, ascended again into overcast, and briefly thereafter came out in a steep dive. Apparently there was some attempt at recovery, but airplane dived into the ground with sufficient impact to force the engines and nose three to five feet into the frozen earth. Airplane exploded on impact, with intense fire in impact area. Wreckage was scattered south of impact area in direction paralleling line of wings and to one side only, indicating that the airplane had a strong sideways movement at the time of impact. Airplane and bodies of personnel were extensively disintegrated. Controls and instruments were unrecognizable at time of inspection. There had been some thunderstorm activity in vicinity. Just prior to crash, the airplane was traveling in direction opposite to its proper course.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-CO Liberator n Arnold: 1 killed

Date & Time: Feb 2, 1943 at 1435 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-11885
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
381
YOM:
1941
Location:
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
1
Circumstances:
While returning to base following a practice bombing exercise, the crew encountered poor weather conditions. In an attempt to fly over the stormy area, the captain tried to climb to 20,000 feet but the airplane stalled twice, probably due to icing. Eventually, the crew decided to bail out and abandoned the airplane that entered a dive and crashed in a prairie located 13 km north of Arnold. Four crew parachuted to safety, one was injured and the navigator 1st Lt James D. Graham was killed after his parachute failed to open.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-20-CO Liberator in Topeka: 8 killed

Date & Time: Jan 24, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
41-24216
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
No
Schedule:
Topeka - Holloman
MSN:
1011
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
Shortly after takeoff from Topeka AAF, while in initial climb, the airplane stalled and crashed 1,5 km south of the airfield, bursting into flames. All eight crew members were killed. The airplane was en route to Holloman AFB, Alamogordo.
Crew:
1st Lt William L. Stephenson,
2nd Lt James B. Hinds,
2nd Lt Jack C. Mulligan,
S/Sgt Arthur J. Harvey Jr.,
S/Sgt Blaine W. Huston,
S/Sgt George P. Richards Jr.,
S/Sgt Louis A. Scheer,
Sgt Donald R. Groves.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24A-CO Liberator near Admire

Date & Time: Jan 20, 1943
Operator:
Registration:
40-2356
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
MSN:
14
YOM:
1940
Location:
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
En route, the airplane caught fire for unknown reason. All 10 crewmen abandoned the aircraft and bailed out. Out of control, the airplane went into a spin and crashed in an open field located 5 km north of Admire. All 10 occupants parachuted to safety.
Probable cause:
Unknown in-flight fire.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-25-CO Liberator at Schilling AFB: 5 killed

Date & Time: Jan 15, 1943 at 1923 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-24273
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Schilling AFB - DeRidder
MSN:
1068
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
10
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
The four engine airplane departed Schilling AFB (Smoky AFB), Salina, on a flight to DeRidder, Louisiana, with a crew of 10 on board. Almost immediately after liftoff, while climbing to a height of about 75 feet, the left wing dropped and hit the runway surface, causing the airplane to crash and to catch fire. Five crew members were killed and five others were seriously injured.
Those killed were:
1st Lt Edward G. Riley, bombardier,
1st Lt Robert I. Van Horn, navigator,
S/Sgt Dale V. Brown, assistant flight engineer,
S/Sgt Robert L. Grace, radio operator,
S/Sgt Francis H. Ayers, air gunner.

Crash of a Consolidated B-24D-13-CO Liberator near White City: 11 killed

Date & Time: Jan 6, 1943 at 1735 LT
Operator:
Registration:
41-23961
Flight Phase:
Flight Type:
Survivors:
Yes
Schedule:
Topeka - Pueblo
MSN:
756
YOM:
1942
Crew on board:
6
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
6
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The airplane departed Topeka on a routine navigation exercise to Pueblo, Colorado. While cruising at an altitude of 5,000 feet in clouds, the crew encountered severe icing conditions when the airplane suffered a catastrophic structural failure on the tail section. The vertical stabilizer, the fin and the rudder detached, causing the airplane to enter a dive and to crash in an open field located 5,6 km northwest of White City, bursting into flames. A crew parachuted to safety and was uninjured while 11 other occupants were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert Clyne, pilot, †
1st Lt Norman A. Kendall, copilot, †
2nd Lt Joseph P. Hulder Jr., navigator, †
2nd Lt Clifford A. Smallwood, bombardier, †
S/Sgt Vernon A. Larson, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Thomas P. Merlino, radio operator. †
Passengers:
Lt Maleckas,
2nd Lt Aldon A. Alleman, pilot, †
F/O James G. Masters, pilot, †
2nd Lt John Sedor, navigator, †
S/Sgt Leonard F. McNabb , flight engineer, †
S/Sgt Gustave Dzingoski, radio operator. †
Probable cause:
Structural failure on the tail while cruising in severe icing conditions.