Gander

En route, while flying over the North Atlantic, the aircraft disappeared in unknown circumstances. SAR operations were conducted but eventually suspended after two weeks as no trace of the aircraft nor the 15 occupants was found. All passengers were US, Canadian and British Officers who were flying back to the UK after taking part to a military conference in Washington DC.

Immediately after liftoff, while in initial climb, the pilot raised the undercarriage. The aircraft banked left and hit the runway surface, causing the propeller on the engine number one to be sheared off. The aircraft climbed to a height of 50 feet when it stalled and crashed in flames on the runway. Six crew members were killed while five others were injured.
Crew killed were:
F/O Derrick William Southwell, pilot,
F/O John Albert Winkley, pilot,
F/Sgt George Edward Chappell, flight engineer,
Sgt Allan Thomas Furness, air gunner,
Sgt Geoffrey Frank Buers, wireless operator and air gunner,
Sgt Ivor Ralph Platt.

Few minutes after take off from Grenier Field AFB in Manchester, en route to Gander, the aircraft went out of control, nosed down and crashed in the Pawtuckaway State Forest in Nottingham, some 16 miles northeast of Manchester. All nine crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpl Robert Hunter Wells,
2nd Lt Paul E. Hackstock,
2nd Lt Wilbur C. Stephensen,
F/O Russell L. Jones,
Cpl Calvin R. Rickenbach,
Cpl Thomas L. McDougall,
Cpl William L. Swarmer Jr.,
Cpl Preston K. Smith,
Cpl Kenneth J. Young.

Shortly after a night takeoff from runway 02 at Gander Airport, while climbing, the airplane went out of control and crashed in a dense wooded area. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Vladimir John Kabin, pilot,
Sgt David Flood, navigator,
Sgt Thomas Tweed Sheldrick, radio operator.
Source & photo:
http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2017/03/21/b25-kj584/

The aircraft made a normal takeoff from runway 23 (235 degrees) en route to the Azores, rose in a steep climb to 200 to 400 feet in a light rain, when the aircraft’s left wing began to drop as if the aircraft were going to make a diving turn. Witnesses described the dip in the wing as resembling a stall. The aircraft descended at a 30 to 40 degree angle, and disappeared from view behind the trees. It crashed left wing first and exploded immediately in a 200 to 300 foot high flare. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew:
2nd Lt Saul J. Oppenheimer, pilot,
2nd Lt Chester C. Wampler, copilot,
F/O Malcolm H. Hild, navigator,
2nd Lt David L. Harrog, bombardier,
Sgt Warren G. Faulconer,
Cpl Gordon T. Lawson Jr.,
Cpl William Ruggeri,
Cpl Keith M. Shelley,
Cpl Maurice E. Leathers,
Cpl Forrest G. Taylor.
Source & photo:
http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2017/01/25/usaaf-b-17-44-6344/

The airplane took off from runway 27 into the wind in 'a normal manner'. It was departing Gander for RAF Valley, Wales. According to the crash report, the aircraft climbed steeply – so steeply that one witness, F/O Fisher, remarked that the climb was similar to that of a single engine bomber rather than a B-17 – to about 500 to 600 feet then banked to the left to turn to the south. At approximately 15 degrees into the turn, the nose of the aircraft dropped suddenly. Cpl. George W. Stiffler witnessed the crash from the Gander Control Tower, and stated that the engines did not appear to be having trouble, with the exception that three engines were exhausting blue flame and the #1 engine was exhausting yellow flame. The aircraft was still in a turn when it crashed. Witnesses and investigators agree that the left wing touched first, the aircraft caught fire immediately, skidded several hundred feet, and then exploded with flames shooting 500 to 600 feet into the air. All ten crew members were killed.
Crew:
1st Lt Bruce E. Ryan, pilot,
2nd Lt Stephen A. Wooten, pilot,
2nd Lt John J. Gentile, navigator,
Sgt Charles Thayer, flight engineer,
Cpl Frederick A. Norton, radio operator,
2nd Lt Ballard D. McCain, pilot,
2nd Lt Paul J. Lineham, navigator,
S/Sgt Thomas R. Killela, flight engineer,
Sgt Howard W. Nightower, radio operator,
Sgt Daniel L. Boucher, gunner.
Source & photo:
http://www.planecrashgirl.ca/2017/01/10/usaaf-b-17-and-thdf/

During the take off run, the aircraft hit a snowdrift, causing an engine to catch fire. The take off procedure was interrupted and the aircraft was stopped on the runway. While there were no casualties, the aircraft was considered as damaged beyond repair.

A few days prior to 27 October 1943, USAAF Major Allen and RCAF Flight Commander F/O Taylor discussed making an "air fighting practice flight" where they would spend an afternoon "chasing each other around for a while". The plan was that they would start their flights at a sufficient distance from each other that neither would have an advantage, then they would turn into each other as if to attack. It was agreed that in the case of head on attacks, they would break away to port. On 27 October 1943, F/O Taylor in an RCAF Hurricane and a crew of four including Major Allen in an A-20C (registration unknown) took off just before 1700 GMT and flew south west of the aerodrome. According to the testimony of F/O Taylor, when we turned in at approximately 3,000 yds. apart it placed us at a position head on to one another – I, slightly below the Boston; the Boston as diving and I as climbing through about 200 ft. As the distance between us decreased to about 300 yds. the Boston pulled up gradually and turned slightly to port while I turned slightly to port also; it was here I thought we had ample clearance. Then at about 100 yds. the Boston made a rapid and very decisive movement downwards, as if, in my opinion, he was either fixing his sights on me or had lost me for an instant. The upward movement, although begun, was never completed because it was at this instant that our wings collided. We were both turning slightly to port when this movement or manœuvre occurred. As the aircraft brushed right wings, the wing immediately broke off of the Hurricane and the aircraft went into a tight spin. The pilot abandoned the aircraft and parachuted to safety. The other aircraft dove into the ground and crashed, killing all four crew members.
Crew:
Maj Sobey F. Allen, pilot,
2nd Lt Jack K. Schaffner, bombardier,
Sgt Pless E. Moore Jr., radio operator,
Pvt George M. Haynes, gunner.
Source & photo: Lisa Daly

The aircraft was returning to Canada from the European War Theater with 20 soldiers in permission and a crew of four. After a fuel stop in Gander, the aircraft continued its route to Mont-Joli Airfield. While cruising by night and in snow falls at an altitude of 2,871 feet, the aircraft hit the slope of the Black Mountain (Montagne Noire) located near Saint-Donat, in the Laurentides. SAR operations were conducted for several weeks and 728 reconnaissance flights for a total of 2,438 flying hours were completed without success. No trace of the aircraft nor the crew was found. Eventually, the wreckage was found by hikers on June 26, 1946. In 2015, this accident is still considered as the worst in the RCAF History.
Crew (10th Squadron):
F/Lt J. A. R. Poirier, pilot,
F/O S. A. Sanderson, copilot,
F/Lt R. F. Fisher,
F/O J. S. Johnston.
Passengers:
W/O J. A. Barabonoff,
W/O F. E. Jenkins,
W/O J. Silverstein,
W/O W. I. Howlett,
P/O J. Lamont,
P/O R. W. McDonald,
Sgt E. M. Finn,
Sgt W. J. Macnaughton,
Sgt R. F. Ware,
Sgt F. H. Elliot,
Cpl H. D. Beattie,
LAC C. L. Dynes,
Cpl A. C. Johnston,
Sgt S. A. Wood,
LAC J. A. J. P. Veilleux,
LAC G. R. Patterson,
Cpl H. K. Hambley,
Cpl R. D. Marr,
LAC E. W. Head,
LAC A. J. Radcliffe.

The crew had left Gander in Newfoundland for Prestwick at 19:46 GMT on the 19th August, having been one of at least 23 aircraft to depart Canada bound for the UK. At 06:27 GMT the radio operator made contact with Prestwick who provided the crew with a QDM (a magnetic course to steer towards Prestwick) of 092° this placed the aircraft slight north of due magnetic west from the airfield. Contact was made again a few minutes later when the crew reported being 10 miles from Prestwick at 4500ft, the flying control at Prestwick, named Dogwatch, radioed to tell the pilots to hold their altitude until advised. No further contact radio was received from the aircraft and it was reported missing after the other aircraft in the flight that took off around it had arrived. The wreckage was located on the 23rd August by a shepherd on the western side of Beinn Nuis not far from the summit of the mountain. A watch recovered from the wreck showed the time of the crash to be 08:10. The aircraft that had taken off from Gander at around the same time were reported to have landed around 08:00. It would appear that the pilots were descending through the low cloud that covered the area that morning when they flew into the mountains of Arran.
Crew:
2nd Lt William M. Connolly, pilot,
F/O Francis J. Chew, copilot,
2nd Lt Albert T. Spindle, navigator,
2nd Lt Robert J. Hartl, bomb aimer,
S/Sgt Fred W. Brantner, flight engineer,
S/Sgt Joseph B. Moore, radio operator,
S/Sgt Chester E. Cislo, flight engineer,
Sgt Glen Mathew Canon Peyton, air gunner,
Sgt Robert F. Daub, air gunner,
Sgt Louis Stanley Golis, radio operator.
Source:
http://www.peakdistrictaircrashes.co.uk/pages/scotland/scotland42-41030.htm