Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress

The crew was involved in a SAR mission following the crash of a USAF C-47 on December 9. In unknown circumstances, the B-17 crash landed in an icecap. While the aircraft was damaged beyond repair and abandoned on site, all six crew members were rescued by the crew of a ski equipped C-47 on December 27, 1948.

After touchdown, the four engine aircraft overran and collided with a rocky wall. There were no casualties but the aircraft was written off.

The aircraft left Istres-Le Tubé Airbase in the morning to try to locate an USAF C-47 that disappeared in the region three days earlier. In fact, this C-47 registered 44-76443 crashed on the Cheval Blanc mountain, killing all 11 occupants. Around noon, the crew of the B-17 localized the wreckage of the C-47 on the east slope of the mountain and while flying to close from the terrain, the aircraft went out of control, maybe due to downdraft, and hit the north slope of the same mountain, near the village of Chanolles. The aircraft was destroyed on impact and eight of the ten occupants were killed. Two crew members, among them a pilot, survived. The pilot decided to leave the area to find help but his dead body was found in an isolated area on March 25, 1948. The only survivor, Sgt Angelo La Salle, was rescued few hours later.

While approaching the Hawaiian coast of Oahu Island on a flight from Tokyo, the crew encountered a fuel exhaustion and was forced to ditch the aircraft about 60 miles west of Hickam Field where it should land. Ten people were rescued while three others were killed, among them George Acheson, personal advisor of General McArthur and President of the Allied Council in Japan.

At 1430LT on 2nd January 1947 an SB-17 belonging to 1386th AAF Base Unit Air Sea Rescue took off from Keflavik airfield, Iceland on a local flight expected to last 2 to 3 hours, however approx 1 hour after leaving the field a snow storm developed and the crew now on instruments and were given instructions by ATC to fly to Prestwick as the visibility at Keflavik was too bad, and so a flight plan was arranged and radioed to the pilot. Expecting this to be just a local flight, the navigator was without proper charts, they had no Wireless Op on board, and little fuel for any marginal error. Drift readings were taken and bearings using the astro compass and radio compass were taken, though stronger than forecast headwinds slowed the aircraft down and it took much longer to reach their turning over Scotland, also heavy cloud hindered any visual contact, but eventually an island, that of Shetland was spotted and it was estimated that they should reach the Scottish mainland within 30 minutes, however, as they continued past their ETA, no land was sited and the Navigator suggested they do a 180 degree turn and head back to the Island, this they did and back over Shetland at approx midnight, they flew a few miles off shore, jettisoned the lifeboat, circled a number of times firing off flares, then with an estimated guess of less than an hours fuel left,the pilot gave the order to abandon the aircraft, then putting it on a SW course on autopilot, he left the aircraft himself. Three of the crew landed on the Shetland mainland itself, one came down on a tiny island in Braewick Voe, and another landed in the sea and struggled to unhitch his chute, but fortunately the wind blew him towards the shore. After a long night with the Co-Pilot suffering a sprained knee, and the Pilot suffering exposure, all were eventually found and taken to hospital where they were given hot drinks and blankets, and treated for their injuries. The Fortress went down in the sea somewhere to the West of the Shetland mainland at a location yet to be discovered. Maybe one day a fishing boat will pull up a piece of wreckage identified as coming off a Flying Fortress and the last resting place of 44-83771 will be known.
Crew (1386 BU):
1/Lt W. E. Dee, pilot,
1/Lt M. H. Craven Jr., copilot,
1/Lt W. L. Pilcher, navigator,
H. E. Shields, flight engineer,
R. M. Gessert, flight engineer.
Source: http://www.aviation-safety.net/wikibase/wiki.php?id=99049

The aircraft left Naples-Capodichino Airport at 0054LT bound for RAF Bovingdon with an overflight of Bastia, Istres, Lyon and Paris. As the aircraft failed to arrive at destination, SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended 18 days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. On July 25, 1947, mountaineers of the 99th French Alpine Infantry Battalion found the wreckage on the slope of the Aiguille des Glaciers (3,750 meters high), about 8 km southwest of the Mont-Blanc.
Crew:
Col Ford L. Fair, pilot,
Col Hudson H. Upham, pilot,
Maj Lawrence L. Cobb, copilot,
2nd Lt Alfred D. Ramirez, navigator,
Sgt John E. Gilbert, flight engineer,
S/Sgt William A. Hilton, assistant to flight engineer,
S/Sgt Zoltan J. Dobovich, radio operator,
T/Sgt William S. Cassell, assistant to radio operator.

After its departure from Lyon, bound for Istres and flying south of Grenoble in poor weather conditions, the aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located in the Dévoluy Mountain Range. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended few days later as no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was localized by walkers on September 26, 1946, at an altitude of 2,700 meters, in a craggy area located between the Petit Obiou and the Grand Obiou. All 11 occupants were killed.

The crew was engaged in a survey mission following the recent disappearance of a US military plane in the region of the Coiba Island. For such operation, three USAAF B-17 were dispatched with 7 pax and 3 crew per aircraft. Enroute, while cruising at an estimated height of 75 meters, 44-85626 hit with its right wing the empennage of 44-85624. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, about 30 km north of Coiba Island. All 20 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

The crew was engaged in a survey mission following the recent disappearance of a US military plane in the region of the Coiba Island. For such operation, three USAAF B-17 were dispatched with 7 pax and 3 crew per aircraft. Enroute, while cruising at an estimated height of 75 meters, 44-85626 hit with its right wing the empennage of 44-85624. Both aircraft went out of control and crashed into the sea, about 30 km north of Coiba Island. All 20 occupants on both aircraft were killed.

The crew was completing a flight from Gander to Mitchell AFB, Long Island, with an intermediate stop in Westover AFB. While descending to Westover, the crew encountered poor weather conditions with low clouds and thunderstorm activity, and turn about two hours over the area for improvement. On final approach, while flying at a height of 800 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of Mt Tom (1,000 feet high) located about 8 miles northwest of the airport. The aircraft crashed about 180 feet from the summit and was totally destroyed, killing all 25 occupants.
Crew:
F/O Herman J. Valdrini Jr.,
Cpt Henry A. Lebrecht,
1Lt Wayne L. Austin,
F/O Samuel A. Turrentine,
Sgt Daniel R. Roe,
Pfc Howard E. Carson,
Pfc Eulogio Sanchez,
Pfc Rex A. Tansey.
Passengers:
Lt Frank G. Meriam,
Lt Wilfred U. Johnson,
Lt George E. Orford,
Hugh J. Worth,
Lee Winnard,
Russell S. Scott,
Alfred L. Warm,
Arnold J. Simons,
Ernest R. Gillis,
George R. Benfield,
George E. Fleming,
Arthur C. Miller,
Stanley P. Warshaw,
Gregory S. Davenport,
David F. Archilles,
Lt Pasquale P. Coviello,
Mr. Arthur Bailey (American Red Cross).