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Crash of a Boeing B-17F-20-VE Flying Fortress on Guadalupe Peak: 11 killed

Date & Time: May 30, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5798
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Pyote - Pyote
MSN:
17-6094
YOM:
1943
Location:
Guadalupe Peak
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
While on a mission out from Pyote AFB, the airplane impacted the slope of Guadalupe Peak, in the Guadalupe Mountains National Park. All 11 crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Charles G. Ryan,
2nd Lt William J. Sauer,
2nd Lt Joe A. Chamberlain,
2nd Lt Frank N. Jones,
T/Sgt William B. Clark,
S/Sgt Martin J. Patten,
Sgt John J. Hefferan Jr.,
Sgt Edward J. O'Hearn,
Sgt Edward D. Reed,
Sgt George W. Byrnes,
Cpl Julian B. Wilkerson.
Probable cause:
Controlled flight into terrain.

Crash of a Lockheed RB-34A Lexington near Midland: 5 killed

Date & Time: May 28, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Lockheed PV-1 Ventura
Operator:
Registration:
41-38188
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
4844
YOM:
1942
Location:
Midland
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
5
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
5
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances 65 km north-northeast of Midland. Five crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Samuel S. Revis,
F/O Samuel W. Thomas,
F/O Robert Lee Williams,
Pvt Donald P. Beaulieu,
Pvt Wayne H. Maki.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator near Bryan

Date & Time: May 27, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator
Operator:
Registration:
42-2446
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
4126
YOM:
1942
Location:
Bryan
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to abandon the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed 27 km east of Bryan. All occupants parachuted to safety.

Crash of a Martin B-26 Marauder near Laughlin AFB

Date & Time: May 23, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Martin B-26 Marauder
Operator:
Registration:
40-1450
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Laughlin AFB - Laughlin AFB
MSN:
1450
YOM:
1940
Location:
Laughlin AFB (Del Rio)
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
Crashed in unknown circumstances 8 km southeast of Laughlin AFB. There were no fatalities.

Crash of a North American B-25C Mitchell in Westfield: 7 killed

Date & Time: May 20, 1943
Type of aircraft:
North American B-25 Mitchell
Operator:
Registration:
41-12620
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
82-5255
YOM:
1941
Location:
Westfield
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
7
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
7
Circumstances:
The airplane suffered a structural failure in flight and crashed in Westfield, in the north suburb of Houston. All seven crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Robert E. Ward, pilot,
2nd Lt Benjamin Gazevitz,
2nd Lt George H. Rich,
2nd Lt Cecil C. Walkey Jr.,
S/Sgt George B. Clark,
Sgt Billy D. Hulbert,
Pvt Herbert F. Barnes.
Probable cause:
Structural failure in flight.

Crash of a Cessna AT-17 Bobcat near Pampa AAF

Date & Time: May 20, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Cessna T-50 Bobcat (AT-8/AT-17/UC-78 & Crane)
Operator:
Registration:
42-441
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
Schedule:
Pampa - Pampa
Location:
Pampa AAF
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a training exercise, the crew encountered an unexpected situation and abandoned the airplane that crashed 13 km southwest of Pampa AAF. All occupants parachuted to safety.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-10-BH Wichita near Mount Enterprise

Date & Time: May 19, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita
Operator:
Registration:
41-1748
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
559
YOM:
1942
Location:
Mount Enterprise
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
0
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
The crew encountered an unexpected situation and was forced to abandon the airplane that crashed 10 km southeast of Mount Enterprise and was destroyed. All occupants parachuted to safety.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator near Hondo

Date & Time: May 18, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator
Operator:
Registration:
41-21089
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1104
YOM:
1941
Location:
Hondo
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While on a training flight, the crew was forced to abandon the airplane following an in-flight fire of unknown origin. The twin engine airplane dove into the ground and crashed near Hondo. All crewmen parachuted to safety.
Probable cause:
In-flight fire of unknown origin.

Crash of a Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator near Laredo

Date & Time: May 16, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator
Operator:
Registration:
41-21077
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
1092
YOM:
1941
Location:
Laredo
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
4
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
0
Circumstances:
While performing a training exercise, the crew encountered difficulties in flight when the airplane caught fire for unknown reasons. All four crew members bailed out and abandoned the airplane that dove into the ground and crashed 16 km northwest of Laredo. All crew parachuted to safety.
Probable cause:
In-flight fire of unknown origin.

Crash of a Boeing B-17F-40-BO Flying Fortress near Karnack: 9 killed

Date & Time: May 15, 1943
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
42-5162
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Military
Survivors:
No
Site:
Plain, Valley
MSN:
3701
YOM:
1942
Location:
Karnack
Texas
Country:
United States of America
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
Other fatalities:
Total fatalities:
9
Circumstances:
Suffered an engine failure in flight and crashed 5 km southeast of Karnack. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt John R. Heckman,
2nd Lt Samuel J. Cleaver,
2nd Lt Kyriakos K. Passopulo,
2nd Lt Edward F. Smith,
F/O George C. Harsa,
Cpl Roy E. Cox,
Cpl William M. Nowell,
Pvt Aubrey C. Terry,
Pvt Russell R. Werdon.
Probable cause:
Engine failure in flight.
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