Date & Time:
Feb 1, 1945 at 2040 LT
Type of aircraft:
Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress
Operator:
Registration:
FL455
Flight Phase:
Landing (descent or approach)
Flight Type:
Meteorological / Weather
Survivors:
Yes
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Wick - Wick
MSN:
2697
YOM:
1941
Country:
United Kingdom
Region:
Europe
Crew on board:
9
Crew fatalities:
6
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
6
Circumstances:
The aircraft took off from Wick at 0930LT for a routine met reconnaissance RECIPE sortie, a straight line track north from Wick to 69N 02W and return. The aircraft encountered snow and ice about 4 hours north of Wick on the return leg, and these persisted for the remainder of the flight. When the aircraft approached Wick at about 2000LT, the weather was atrocious, low cloud, frequent showers and a strong gusty wind. The aircraft was heard over the airfield and given a course to fly, but contact was then lost. At 2040LT, the Fortress flew into a gently sloping hill, probably Cnocan Ruar, at an altitude of 700 feet. Six crew members were killed while three others were injured.
Crew (519th Squadron):
F/Lt F. K. Humphries, pilot,
F/O G. H. Pullan, pilot,
F/O T. G. Wrigley, pilot,
F/S Geoffrey Arthur Francis Panzer, air gunner, †
F/S William Henry Payne, flight engineer, †
F/S Kenneth Anthony Ian Day, air gunner, †
Sgt Alexander Purdie Beatson, wireless operator, †
E. A. Wood, †
D. A. Pressley. †
Source:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/boeing_b-17e_loch-rangag.htm
Crew (519th Squadron):
F/Lt F. K. Humphries, pilot,
F/O G. H. Pullan, pilot,
F/O T. G. Wrigley, pilot,
F/S Geoffrey Arthur Francis Panzer, air gunner, †
F/S William Henry Payne, flight engineer, †
F/S Kenneth Anthony Ian Day, air gunner, †
Sgt Alexander Purdie Beatson, wireless operator, †
E. A. Wood, †
D. A. Pressley. †
Source:
http://www.aircrashsites-scotland.co.uk/boeing_b-17e_loch-rangag.htm
Probable cause:
Details of the accident report suggest there was little doubt that this was pilot error, although an attempt was made to divert the blame to the MAO for having given an incorrect QFE. This ignores the fact the MAO would not have been able to provide a QFE (it should have been requested it from ATC, or ATC should have offered it voluntarily) especially in the poor conditions, but neither course of action was taken.
