Date & Time:
Jun 1, 1945 at 0940 LT
Type of aircraft:
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
Operator:
Registration:
KK241
Flight Phase:
Flight
Flight Type:
Training
Survivors:
No
Site:
Mountains
Schedule:
Abbotsford - Abbotsford
MSN:
1607
Country:
Canada
Region:
North America
Crew on board:
11
Crew fatalities:
11
Pax on board:
0
Pax fatalities:
0
Other fatalities:
0
Total fatalities:
11
Circumstances:
The crew departed Abbotsford Airport at 0906LT on a local training mission. Thirty-four minutes later, while cruising at an altitude of 4,000 in marginal weather conditions, the crew proceeded to a fix point when the aircraft hit the slope of Welch Peak located east of Chilliwack. The wreckage was spotted on June 16 but first rescuers arrived on the scene four days later, on June 20. The aircraft was destroyed by impact forces and all 11 crew members were killed.
Crew (5th OTU):
Sgt Stanley Aldridge,
Sgt Albert Eric Broadbent,
Sgt John Randall Dale,
Sgt William Peter Watt Drummond,
Sgt Isaac Gibbons,
Sgt James Leonard Gordon Hammond,
F/O Arthur William David Hill,
Sgt David Robertson Langlands,
P/O Gilbert Ewart Ellis Long,
Sgt Graham Murray,
Sgt William Thomas Swatton.
Source:
http://www.bansteadhistory.com/Memorial/2_H_KK241 Liberator Crew.html
Crew (5th OTU):
Sgt Stanley Aldridge,
Sgt Albert Eric Broadbent,
Sgt John Randall Dale,
Sgt William Peter Watt Drummond,
Sgt Isaac Gibbons,
Sgt James Leonard Gordon Hammond,
F/O Arthur William David Hill,
Sgt David Robertson Langlands,
P/O Gilbert Ewart Ellis Long,
Sgt Graham Murray,
Sgt William Thomas Swatton.
Source:
http://www.bansteadhistory.com/Memorial/2_H_KK241 Liberator Crew.html
Probable cause:
Three possible causes which appeared as most probable to the Investigating Officer were as follows:
(1) failure of pilot to climb at a rate which would assure adequate clearance over the mountains.
(2) inability of pilot to climb over the mountains due to some mechanical failure in aircraft which cannot be determined at this time.
(3) that the briefing instructions which required the crew to set course at 4000 feet, and climb on track through cloud and over the mountains, did not allow a sufficient safety margin.
(1) failure of pilot to climb at a rate which would assure adequate clearance over the mountains.
(2) inability of pilot to climb over the mountains due to some mechanical failure in aircraft which cannot be determined at this time.
(3) that the briefing instructions which required the crew to set course at 4000 feet, and climb on track through cloud and over the mountains, did not allow a sufficient safety margin.
Final Report:
KK241.pdf1.63 MB
