Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

While overflying The Netherlands, the aircraft was shot down by the pilot of a German fighter and crashed in Kats, killing all 10 crew members.

The crew was performing a demo flight in the vicinity of the Clearview Airfield. In flight, the pilot encountered unknown technical problems and attempted to make an emergency belly landing. On touchdown in a pasture, the aircraft skidded for several yards before coming to rest. While all 22 occupants were uninjured, the aircraft was damaged beyond repair.

The sortie was an instrument check ride which included a blind takeoff and the student was taking his first check. The B-17 started to take off with the student under the hood and an instructor pilot of considerable experience was sitting in the right hand seat. The airplane ran 1,550 feet down the runway then turned off the runway under full power. It was straightened out momentarily while still under full power and swerved further to the right. Finally, after proceeding in a wide arc for approximately 3/10 of a mile from the runway, it hit the left wing of an airplane parked on the north side of the ramp (B-17F 42-29548). It swung further to the right, still under full power at an estimated speed of 70 or 80 miles an hour and proceeded south across the ramp. It collided with the transformers furnishing power to one of the main water wells on the field and smashed head-on into another parked plane (B-17F 42-2987). As the airplane came onto the ramp, witnesses stated that it was in a nose-down attitude under full power. The propellers were observed to strike the ground and the left tire blew out just before the airplane struck the wing of the first parked plane. At the time of the accident the airplane was travelling at an angle of approximately 45° or more with the original takeoff direction, and was swerving violently to the right. When 42-5751 collided head-on with 42-2987, both planes were badly damaged and fire started, without an explosion, which completely destroyed both planes. Four men in the airplanes were killed as a result of the crash; one man who was on the ramp was struck and killed by the airplane.
Crew:
S/Sgt Clifford J. Hawthorne,
1st Lt Richard Pease,
2nd Lt Elbert J. Williams Jr.,
2nd Lt William D. Workman.
The man killed on the ground was Sgt Thomas E. Lovelace.

During the takeoff run from Port Moresby-7 Mile Drome, a tyre and a rim came off from a main gear. The aircraft went out of control, veered off runway, rolled for 200 yards before coming to rest, bursting into flames and exploding. All 11 crew members were killed. Explosions were caused by three 500 lbs bombs stored in the cargo bay. A dead wallaby was later found on the runway but it was not proven if this was the cause of the accident or not. The aircraft was named 'Blues in the Nite'.
Crew (43th BG):
Maj Kenneth D. McCullar, pilot,
2nd Lt Byron G. Andrews,
2nd Lt Blaine McCord Jr.,
2nd Lt John W. Schultz Jr.,
T/Sgt Elmer R. Hansen,
S/Sgt Philip A. Zumwalt,
Sgt Bert F. Bredemeier,
Cpl George A. Mowad,
Pvt David W. Stuckey,
S/Sgt Pierre R. O'Grady,
S/Sgt Michael J. Paz Jr.

The plane departed Marrakech-Menara Airport on a ferry flight to RAF St Eval. Arriving over the coast of Ireland, a low cloud base required assistance from St Eval to navigate to the airfield. With unreliable compass systems, the plane let down through the cloud but struck a mountain before reaching clear air. Spotting ground, the pilots pulled back on the control column and the tail struck tearing off the left horizontal stabilizer. Without elevator control, the plane struck the ground again approximately a quarter mile beyond, slid to a stop and broke its back. The wreckage was found on Mt Foel Cwmcerwyn. A crew was killed and eight others escaped unhurt.
Crew:
2nd Lt Dinwiddle Fuhrmeister, pilot,
1st Lt Emil Oluf Rasmussen Jr., copilot,
2nd Lt Art Titus, navigator,
1st Lt William J. Smith, †
T/Sgt Odes Franklin Harvey Jr., flight engineer,
Sgt Amos Roy May, radio operator,
Sgt Keith Thousand, air gunner,
Sgt Ray Young Wilson, air gunner,
Sgt Owen Nabors, air gunner.

Crashed while taking off from Fort Wayne-Bear Field and destroyed by fire. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Leroy D. Ronnfeldt,
Pvt Bennie J. Grabiec,
Pvt Devere Lambert.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Erla GmbH aircraft factory at Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Dinteloord. Seven crew members were killed and three others became PoW.
Crew:
Cpt William H. Parker, pilot, †
1st Lt C. J. Thelen, copilot,
T/Sgt John M. Creatore, flight engineer, †
1st Lt Paul A. Spaduzzi, navigator, †
T/Sgt James E. Gross, radio operator, †
1st Lt A. L. Milbourn, bombardier,
S/Sgt Sydney E. Davis, air gunner, †
S/Sgt Richard E. Haeft, air gunner, †
S/Sgt James S. Clark, air gunner, †
T/Sgt L. J. H. O'Brien, air gunner.

The airplane departed RAF Thurleigh on an operation to the Erla GmbH aircraft factory at Mortsel, Antwerp, Belgium. It was shot down by a German fighter and crashed in Heikant, north of Antwerp. Three crew members were killed and seven others became PoW.
Crew:
1st Lt R. W. Seelos, pilot,
1st Lt A. Kramarinko, copilot,
2nd Lt W. W. Saunders, navigator,
T/Sgt Fred Ray Hampton, radio operator, †
2nd Lt James E. Murray, bombardier, †
T/Sgt Stanley P. Stemkoski, air gunner, †
T/Sgt W. H. Keskey, air gunner,
S/Sgt W. E. Baker, air gunner,
S/Sgt R. E. Walls, air gunner,
S/Sgt R. Magee, air gunner.

The airplane departed Marrakech Airport on a flight to RAF St Eval with a crew of five on board. Approaching the destination, the airplane suffered an engine failure and crash landed on a beach located in Hayle, about 45 km southwest of RAF St Eval. The airplane was damaged beyond repair and all five crew members escaped unhurt.

The airplane was on a ferry flight from Florida to Europe via West Palm Beach, Borinquen, Waller AFB, Belém, Natal and Bathurst. Approaching the African coast, an engine failed. The crew ditched the airplane into the sea some 50 km off Bathurst and were later rescued by a RAF Sunderland. The airplane sank and was lost.