Consolidated B-24 Liberator

While flying over the Adriatic Sea, the four engine aircraft went out of control and crashed for unknown reason. No trace was ever found.

The crew was performing a night training mission and departed Abbotsford Airport on the evening of November 9. While low visibility, pilots were unable to locate the mountainous terrain. The four engine aircraft hit the slope of a mountain located near Flora Lake, Vancouver Island, and was destroyed by impact forces. All 10 crew members were killed. SAR operations were dispatched on a huge area but no trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. The wreckage was eventually spotted one year later. At the time of the accident, the visibility was reduced due to marginal weather conditions and by night.
Crew (5th OTU):
F/O John Victor Kingdon, 1st pilot,
F/O Morris Morganstein, 2nd pilot,
F/O Frederick Edward Brown,
F/O James Frederick Cooke,
Sgt Frederick Douglas Hafford,
Sgt Sidney Helper,
Sgt Glyn Ivor Jones,
Sgt Thomas MacDonald,
Sgt Ronald May,
Sgt David Peggie Westwater.

En route, the crew encountered poor weather and icing conditions. While all engines and both wings were contaminated by ice, the aircraft was unable to maintain the prescribed altitude and hit the slope of Mt Skorve located in the region of Seljord. All ten crew members were killed.

En route, the four engine aircraft christened 'Sleepy Time Gal' went out of control and crashed into the Timor sea in unknown circumstances. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was ever found.
Crew:
William C. Clarke 9.

While cruising at an altitude of 6,000 feet, the crew encountered marginal weather conditions with heavy rain falls and turbulence. The four engine bomber exploded in mid-air and dove into the ground before crashing in a field in a huge explosion. All 24 occupants were killed.
Crew:
William Driscoll,
Harold W. Olsen,
J. P. Hennessy,
Roy W. Sechler,
Reginald H. Gehman.
Passengers:
Vincent P. Hamilton,
William F. Price,
Richard M. Blake,
Edward F. Brick,
George J. Leary,
Roland F. Mosher,
Stephen J. Nagy,
Clesen H. Tenney,
Loran A. Umpleby,
Ralph G. Wills,
Robert E. Boyd,
James E. Patterson,
Robert L. Marshall,
Flyod K. Relyea,
Joseph L. Arrigotti,
Albert Engasser,
Frederick L. Mootz,
George S. Moss,
Clarence K. Smith.

En route, the four-engine aircraft hit the slope of the 4,083 foot Mt Camels Hump located east of Huntington. Nine crew members were killed, among them Pfc Casper Zacher. The only survivor was the air gunner James W. Wilson. The exact circumstances of the accident remains unknown.

The crew started the descent to Castellucio AFB when the four engine aircraft hit a hill located in Rochetta Sant’Antonio, some 10 km south of the airbase. All 16 occupants were killed.

The aircraft was being ferried from Burtonwood to Hardwick by a two man ferry crew on the 11th October 1944, the two men took off in the aircraft from Burtonwood near Warrington at 1032LT. They set a course of 135° and climbed to an indicated altitude of 2,800 feet. At approximately 1045LT, while in cloud and moderate to severe turbulence, Lt Houpt spotted a small gap in the cloud and saw the ground was only about 150 feet below him. He then applied full power and began to climb, but before they could gain any meaningful height the aircraft struck the ground on Mill Hill some 1.5 mile from the Grouse Inn between Hayfield and Glossop. The two men extricated themselves from the shattered cockpit and walked along one of the streams until they reached the Hayfield to Glossop road. A passing lorry driver stopped and picked them up and took them to a nearby pub where Lt Houpt telephoned Burtonwood to report the accident. They were then retrieved by an Ambulance from Burtonwood and their injuries were then treated. These were mainly cuts & bruises but Lt Houpt did suffer a broken jaw.
Crew (310th FS):
2nd Lt Creighton R. Houpt, pilot,
S/Sgt Jerome M. Najvar, flight engineer.
Source & photo:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/peakdistrict/peakdistrict42-52003.htm

The crew was performing a circular test flight following maintenance and left RAF Wendling shortly after noon. After a first circuit completed uneventfully, the aircraft was approaching the airfield and while crossing the last cloud layer, at a height of 300 feet, the number three engine failed. Despite several correction on part of the pilot, the aircraft became unstable and the crew attempted an emergency landing when the left wing hit a tree. Out of control, the aircraft christened 'Flying Crusader' crashed in flames in a field. As four crew members were injured, the radio navigator was killed.
Crew (578th BS):
Cpt Allen Ben Alexander, pilot,
1st Lt Presley Broussard, copilot,
1st Lt Tom Kirkwood, navigator,
T/Sgt Rupert Sutphin, flight engineer,
T/Sgt Frank E. Gallo, radio operator. †

The crew did not realize his altitude was insufficient while conducting a training exercise in foggy conditions. The aircraft hit the ground near Twizzle Head Moss and disintegrated. Nine crew members were killed, one injured.
Crew (857th BS):
1st Lt Elmer D. Pitsenbarger, pilot, †
2nd Lt James D. Nendel, copilot, †
F/O Jack M. Bliss, navigator, †
F/O Frank Cser, bombardier, †
T/Sgt Presley E. Farris, flight engineer, †
T/Sgt Zoe W. Zwinge, radio operator, †
T/Sgt Frank A. Villelli, tail gunner,†
S/Sgt Curtis Anderson, waist gunner,
Cpl Charles T. Lowbald, †
Cpl Clarence S. Watson. †