Date & Time:
Jan 1, 1945
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
FL949
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Survey / Patrol / Reconnaissance
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
8
Crew fatalities:
0
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
8
Circumstances:
The crew was returning to his base in Wick following a maritime patrol flight above the North Atlantic. En route, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds, high winds and heavy snow falls. The aircraft impacted the slope of a mountain located on Hoy Island. The wreckage was found about 100 feet below the summit. All eight crew members were killed.
Crew (311st Squadron):
W/O Oldrich Bures, pilot,
Sgt Milos Bodlak, copilot,
F/Sgt Otto Mandler, navigator,
F/Sgt Zdenek Launer, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Ivo Karel Englander, wireless operator air gunner,
Sgt Martin Dorniak, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Antoni Bednar, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Jaroslav Zapletal, wireless operator and air gunner.
Crew (311st Squadron):
W/O Oldrich Bures, pilot,
Sgt Milos Bodlak, copilot,
F/Sgt Otto Mandler, navigator,
F/Sgt Zdenek Launer, flight engineer,
F/Sgt Ivo Karel Englander, wireless operator air gunner,
Sgt Martin Dorniak, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Antoni Bednar, wireless operator and air gunner,
F/Sgt Jaroslav Zapletal, wireless operator and air gunner.
